Project Genesis Part two: Sun
by Darkfire7881
Summary: The second installment of Project Genesis. A novelization of C&C Tiberian Sun. Set 30 years after the First Tiberium War, an era of peace is shattered when the enigmatic Brotherhood once more returns to wage war upon GDI.
1. Chapter 1

**Project Genesis **

**Part two: **

_Sun_

**Author's note: Welcome ladies and gentlemen, to Part two! The exciting continuation of the Project Genesis series. This will be a novelization of Tiberian Sun, with some fun changes. **

**First off I want to address the Firestorm expansion. That will be its own separate short story (similar to Operation Final Justice) that will obviously come after this is finished. **

**This is the second of three fanfictions, so I hope everyone has been enjoying so far!**

**Don't forget to leave reviews.**

**And as always, a big thank you to Ian Otter for being my editor. Check out his stories in the Halo Fanfiction section. And thanks to Augustrad for reviewing, check out his stories in the Starcraft and the Path of Exile Fanfiction section.**

**Prologue**

**Global Defence Space Station **_**Philadelphia **_

**August 27th****,**** 2030**

**0900**

The smell of freshly brewed coffee filled the large office. It gave an almost homely sense to the room, a nice offset to the sterile metal walls and floor. A large carpet of intricate patterns helped to brighten the dull room, but only by a little bit. Other décor included several potted plants, though they served a more mechanical purpose than aesthetic, being used to help filtrate the air. The rest of the office was composed of wooden bookshelves, a large oak desk, and a small reading nook. The fact that all the furniture was made of real wood was a sign of unnecessary expenses, given how difficult it was to transport heavy materials into space, and the growing scarcity of trees down on Earth.

However the Global Defense Initiative had felt it imperative to lavish the office of the Commander-in-Chief of GDI's military with such privileges. General James Solomon found it arrogant and wasteful, but regardless, kept such objections to himself. He took a sip of his coffee, which unlike the rest of the office, was not real coffee. It was synthetic, like a vast majority of food stuffs nowadays. Given that valuable farm land was rapidly dwindling, focus was more on vital crops like wheat or corn, not coffee beans or other '_non-essential_' foods.

Solomon sighed as he ran a hand through his thinning white hair. The world was dying and there was little GDI had been able to do to stop it in the 30 years since the alien substance known as Tiberium had infested the planet. He pushed the grim thoughts from his mind as he reached down for a framed photo on his desk, a smile creeping onto his face. It was a photo of three young men, standing on a beach in Estonia, at the beginning of the Tiberium War. One man was himself, just a young lieutenant back then. The other two were the late Colonel J.C Carter, and the now retired Commander Mark Lancaster. Solomon smiled at the memories of simpler times, back when Tiberium infestation didn't threaten half the globe, and the only thing he had to worry about was fighting the Brotherhood of Nod.

Solomon's reverie was interrupted by a chime from the laptop on his desk, indicating his Electronic Video Assistant wanted to talk to him.

"What is it EVA?" Solomon asked as he took another sip of synth coffee.

"Major Volkov from Intelligence Operations has requested your presence. He claims it is urgent." The faintly female voice reported.

"Tell him I'm on my way."

Solomon closed down his laptop and struggled to his feet. He was an old man now, no longer in peak physical shape, but it was mostly the adjustment from Earth's gravity to the much lower station gravity that often gave him troubles. He left his office behind, the door locking automatically and the single GDI marine posted to guard him giving him a sharp salute. Solomon returned it half mindedly and made his way through the space station. The _Philadelphia _was the heart and mind of both GDI's civilian government and its military. While they did have several key installations planetside, the station was where GDI sought to maintain order and security across a collapsing world.

He made his way down the dull, sterile, and grey hallways of the station, having to remind himself not to go to the main lift that would take him to the control room, but instead, to a small access corridor that led out from the center of the station to the dark little corner InOps had claimed for itself. He entered into one of several small rooms set aside for the intelligence agency, where several officers in drab InOps uniforms worked at their stations. One man stood hunched over a computer terminal set near the front of the room, and he quickly turned around and snapped a salute when he heard Solomon enter.

"General. I apologize for the abrupt call sir." Major Volkov said.

Solomon just grunted in response. He had never liked Volkov; the man was too focused on advancing his own career and inflating his own ego. Plus the fact that he was an Intelligence agent, meant the man was always secretive. Volkov was, however, very good at his job. Which was why Solomon had entrusted him to handle GDI's… _unique _relationship with the Brotherhood.

"What's the problem Major?"

"A call for you sir. From our friend: he seems quite upset."

Volkov moved away from the terminal as Solomon stepped over. He pressed a button on the screen, replacing the diving eagle symbol of GDI with the face of General Hassan: Supreme Leader of the Brotherhood of Nod. The man stood straighter when he saw Solomon, in an attempt to look more dignified, but Solomon could see the man was very uneasy.

"I have trouble." Hassan said reluctantly.

"Just tell me Slavik is dead."

"Escaped."

Solomon fought to control an angered outburst. But he did not hold back on the angry glare he gave Hassan. Anton Slavik posed a very big risk to the delicate arrangement Solomon and Hassan had created between GDI and Nod. With him still alive, it could lead to a full on war.

"You expect me to believe that?"

"Framing him as one of your spies was a big mistake. He has more support than we thought!"

Solomon leaned closer to the screen, and in a very calm tone, said.

"Well then, cover it up and kill him before the truth comes out. And, Hassan? If he gains more power, you will become useless to us. And useless things have a way of… disappearing. I don't need to remind you of Juhziz do I?"

"No. I'll deal with it." Hassan said through clenched teeth.

Solomon ended the call and let out a long sigh. Things were starting to get difficult. A potential full scale war with Nod would mean he would have to deal with the Board of Directors. And that could be worse than having to deal with rats like Hassan…or Volkov.

"Do you want me to send someone to deal with Slavik?" Volkov asked, ambition clear on his face.

"No, we'll monitor the situation for now. But alert local garrisons. I have a feeling something much worse is coming."

**Chapter 1**

_War is a biological necessity of the first importance, a regulative element in the life of mankind which cannot be dispensed with. ... But it is not only a biological law but a moral obligation and, as such, an indispensable factor in civilization._

_"Germany and the next War" by Friedrich von Bernhardi._

**Benghazi, Libya**

**August 28****th****, 2030**

**1200**

The cold winter air bit down into his bones, causing him to shiver to the point it hurt. He was naked, save for underwear, while his attacker was in full body armour. The cold wasn't the only thing that hurt, about half a dozen broken bones and twice as many bruises from the relentless '_training_' left Anton Slavik wishing for death.

No eight year old child should have to endure the pain he suffered through. The brutal training, the relentless classes on war and politics. There had once been two other students with him, other possible candidates. They had been lucky and died while Slavik had endured, driven by some force he didn't understand. Spite? Determination? Or some divine intervention?

"You are distracted! Pay attention or I will break your legs and make you crawl home!"

His instructor was cruel, relentless. The perfect embodiment of the Blackhand. Brother Higgs lumbered over to the still shivering Slavik and was about to deliver a back handed slap with his armoured glove, had Slavik not rolled out of the way. He smiled triumphantly for dodging the attack, only to have a fist slam into his stomach. He fell to the ground, crying in agony as blood seeped from his mouth.

"Get up you useless fuck!"

Slavik just laid in the snow and cried. He wished Higgs would just kill him, like he had killed the other two students, like he had killed Slavik's parents.

"I said get up!"

Slavik prayed to God. He prayed to Kane.

"I SAID! GET! UP!"

Hoping the darkness would finally take him.

"Get up Commander!"

Slavik bolted awake, no longer in the Serbian snow, but instead in some kind of infirmary. He looked up to see a woman staring down at him, the beautiful face of Oxana Kristos.

"Dead and back Commander. Dead and back."

She smiled at him and he felt his beating heart slow down, no longer threatening to burst from his chest. The phantom pains of childhood had faded away, and Slavik finally took notice that they were moving.

"Where are we?" Slavik croaked out, his throat painfully dry.

"Back on the Montauk. Safely away from Hassan. It was quite the execution Commander, sorry I had to ruin it." Oxana's smile grew larger, but Slavik didn't have time to joke around.

"Get me back to the bridge." Slavik said as he stood up, nearly fainting from dizziness.

"I don't think that's wise sir."

"Just do as you're told." Slavik snapped.

"Yes sir."

Oxana helped Slavik steady himself as the Nod transport raced through the underground tunnels. When he felt sure of his own footing, he made his way towards the bridge. With every step he felt his strength return, and he felt his anger grow hotter.

When he entered into the cramped bridge of the Montauk, the two pilots turned to face him, with one man bolting to his feet.

"Sir! It's good to have you ba-"

Slavik shot him in the chest before he could finish, sending him crashing to the ground.

"Traitor." Slavik hissed.

Moving as if nothing had happened, Oxana took the traitor's seat, while Slavik eased himself into the command throne. He watched out the main window as the Montauk raced through the underground complex of tunnels the Brotherhood had built over the years. Built mainly to move goods and people without fear of Tiberium radiation or deadly Ion storms, the tunnels also served with the added benefit of being able to hide from GDI.

However Slavik could not calm his burning rage. Hassan had tried to kill him, and even dared try to label him a traitor to Nod! He was going to make the man pay dearly for his heresy.

"CABAL. Status report."

The blue disembodied head of CABAL appeared on the main terminal, a look of perpetual disdain on the AI's '_face.'_

"Hassan spreads his propaganda to the Brotherhood through a nearby TV station. With the Brotherhood in chaos, the opportunity to divide Hassan from his followers presents itself. If we capture the TV station, those once loyal to Kane's technology of peace will return to the fold. The probability of a favourable outcome would be increased, if we take and control that station.

"Define 'favourable outcome', CABAL."

"They all die."

"That'll do." Slavik smiled, as a wolf would before striking at its prey.

"Prepare our forces. It's time we bring the heretic to light."

"Yes sir." Oxana replied eagerly.

"Just don't fail." CABAL said before disappearing from the terminal, although Slavik knew the machine was still there, listening, ever watching. But he pushed those thoughts from his mind; he had a battle to win.

… … …

Slavik stood outside of the Montauk, now on the surface. He stared out into the blasted and twisted landscape that had once been Libya, now deformed by Tiberium. Further out there was the TV station, and the base of Hassan's most loyal forces. Slavik turned to see his own troops arrayed around the massive command vehicle. They were significantly smaller than Hassan's troops, but what they lacked in numbers they made up with training and devotion, for the elite Blackhand of Kane were unmatched by any.

His force consisted solely of infantry, at least a platoon's worth. But he would need much more than that if he was to assault Hassan's base. Fortunately Oxana had devised a plan for that.

"You are sure it will work?" Slavik suddenly asked.

Oxana looked up from studying her wrist mounted tacpad, a small computer that both GDI and Nod used frequently.

"Of course I am. The forces guarding the station aren't Hassan's Elites. They are regular troops, and Hassan does not have as much support as he thinks he does. Once I get inside the station, and broadcast the message of truth, they will follow us."

"I trust you Lieutenant, so this had better work."

Slavik moved away from his perch to address his gathered forces. Each soldier was busy checking over their weapons or armour, but all turned when their Commander approached them.

"Brothers and sisters of the Blackhand! Today we shall show the rest of the Brotherhood that we have returned from the shadows! Today we shall expose the lies of the heretic Hassan! In the name of Kane!"

"Kane lives in death!"

Slavik's forces moved forward, warriors of holy vengeance. They moved towards a large bridge that spanned over what once may have been a river, but was now simply a large Tiberium patch. CABAL had warned him that the bridge would be well guarded, but Slavik knew it would pose no real challenge for his Blackhand.

Slavik shouldered his weapon, a standard issued Nod OFB Excalibur rifle, and followed behind his men. They passed by a dilapidated bridge house, unused in years. At first it seemed as though CABAL had been wrong, that the bridge was left undefended. But they soon quickly encountered Hassan's men further down the bridge at a makeshift checkpoint.

One soldier moved around the sandbag barricades to greet them, but immediately stopped when he noted the large force. Before he could retreat back, someone fired a burst that caused the man's head to snap back in a spray of blood. A split second later all hell broke loose as both sides unloaded on each other.

Slavik, along with Oxana and two Blackhand soldiers, took cover behind the traffic barrier. More of Slavik's men dove for cover, but countless more were cut down by gunfire from the barricade. However they dealt as good as they got. At least a dozen Nod soldiers had been cut down in the opening salvo, creating a clear gap in their defences. The right side closest to Slavik was now exposed. If he could get around the barricade, he could wipe out the heretic forces with ease.

"Brothers! Show the heretics no mercy!" Slavik cried out.

He was met with frightening war cries, as his men once again unleashed their fury on the enemy, keeping them pinned down. As the bullets flew, Slavik and Oxana moved down the bridge towards the enemy barricade. They were nearly there when two heretic soldiers popped up, clearly having noticed the gap, and raised their weapons to fire. Slavik was faster however, as he snapped up his rifle and fired two quick bursts. Both heretic soldiers collapsed, and Slavik leaped over the barricade, followed by Oxana and their two Blackhand troops.

Now behind the enemy barricade, Slavik could see what remained of the enemy defenders. Two squads of light infantry were huddled behind the barricade as the Blackhand continued to fire at them relentlessly. Slavik brought his weapon to bear, as did the others, and targeted the enemy.

"Kill them." Slavik commanded.

As one they opened fire, the enemy caught completely off guard. They barely had time to react before they were cut down.

"Cease fire!"

The sound of gunfire stopped immediately, allowing an eerie quiet to settle over the bridge. Slavik moved through the dead heretic soldiers, occasionally firing a shot into a soldier's head to make sure they were actually dead.

With the first checkpoint secured, he was about to order his forces to advance, but stopped when he heard a familiar sound.

"Attack Buggy! Into cover!"

The Blackhand forces quickly took cover on the opposite side of the barricade, just as a Nod Attack Buggy and four more squads of light infantry raced towards them. The Buggy's heavy guns opened fire, ripping through sandbags and thin sheet metal with ease. Slavik watched as a Blackhand soldier was bisected by the heavy calibre rounds. Slavik's forces tried to return fire on the enemy, but the Buggy kept them firmly pinned down. However he had planned for the possibility Hassan's heretics would deploy armour against him.

"Take down that Buggy!" Slavik had to strain his voice to be heard over the roar of the heavy guns.

But his men heard him, as a soldier armed with an all-purpose rocket launcher stood and took aim. The missile streaked through the air, leaving behind a thick contrail. It slammed into the Buggy, causing it to explode violently, sending burning debris cascading through the air. Slavik smiled as he witnessed several heretics be cut down by the burning debris, or be blasted off the bridge entirely by the concussive force.

The destruction of the Buggy was all that was needed to break the heretic's morale. The enemy squads attempted to retreat back down the bridge, but were mowed down by the Blackhand with ruthless efficiency. Slavik urged his men forward, stepping over or around burning debris and dead bodies. The bridge tower on the far end was the exact opposite of its counterpart: it was fully operational and well defended. The heretics were now firmly aware of his presence, meaning Slavik would need to move faster.

"CABAL, have you hacked into the heretic's servers?"

"Of course I have. Do you take me for some second rate EVA?" The machine agitatedly replied.

Slavik ignored the arrogant AI and pressed on.

"How long before we see a response from the Libyan garrison?"

"They've already sent a detachment of troops to the TV station. You have roughly twenty minutes."

"And what is the probability they will turn to our side with Oxana's message?"

"The base itself will undoubtedly join you. They seem to have no love for Hassan."

Slavik detected something off in CABAL's wording.

"And the forces being sent to kill us?"

"Oh, they will probably still try to kill you. I do hope you can handle it. You dying would be most inconvenient."

Before Slavik could reply, CABAL ended the call, leaving the Nod commander to mutter obscenities to himself. He had to focus on the task at hand, worry about the rest later. His forces drew closer to the final bridge house, and he could see the enemy was much better prepared for him. He called for his men to halt just outside their effective range and they all dispersed into cover. Taking the second checkpoint would not be easy, and time was not on his side.

"I'm open to ideas Lieutenant." Slavik said as Oxana sidled up next to him.

"The enemy has several machine guns in the bridge house. Assaulting them head on would result in a slaughter."

"Then what do you suggest we do?"

Oxana thought to herself for a moment before she replied.

"Use our rocket launcher to destroy the building. It eliminates the machine guns and should create a large enough distraction for our forces to assault the rest of the barricade."

"That would leave us without any anti-tank support. And CABAL as reported that the enemy is sending reinforcements, doubtless with armour support."

"It's our only option sir."

Slavik knew she was right, but still, he did not like leaving himself exposed. However a good commander knew how to operate with limited options. Coming to a decision, he called over the soldier carrying the rocket launcher.

"Sister Joyce, I have a task for you."

"As you command sir!" Joyce spoke with absolute fanaticism.

"Target the enemy building. Use what ammunition you have left. The Lieutenant and I will cover you."

"My life for Nod!"

Slavik nodded approvingly as he readied his own weapon. When he received nods from Oxana and Joyce, Slavik issued orders to the rest of his men. As one, Blackhand soldiers rose and moved towards the heretic barricade, firing on the waiting enemy troops. But before the heavy machine guns could open fire, Sister Joyce let loose with her rocket launcher, quickly firing and reloading.

In the time it took Slavik to target down and kill a single heretic, Joyce had fired two missiles, both of which blew massive holes into the bridge house and sending debris raining onto the barricade. Joyce then reloaded and fired her last two rockets, reducing the building to ruin, while also depleting their only anti-vehicle weapon. Joyce dropped the spent weapon and withdrew her own Excalibur rifle. Now she, Oxana, and Slavik all moved forward to join the other Blackhand forces pushing through to the barricade.

Hassan's heretics again broke upon seeing the Blackhand's ruthless efficiency. Many soldiers abandoned their post and fled down the road towards the TV station. Those brave enough, and foolish enough, who stayed behind were gunned down, leaving only dead bodies and spent casings on the bridge.

"We don't have much time. Onward brothers and sisters!" Slavik urged his forces.

They made their way down the road, and after a few minutes, Slavik could finally see the TV station. An old building pockmarked by bullet holes from various looting attempts. All of the windows were boarded up with Tiberium resistant barriers, to help keep the green crystal out. However the array of antennae on top looked brand new. As far as Slavik could tell, there were no outer defences, but he had no doubt there were plenty of Hassan's heretics waiting inside.

"Once I'm inside, I will deliver our message to the Brotherhood. The truly faithful will stream to our cause." Oxana said with an air of reverence.

"I hope you are right Lieutenant. Or else our crusade will be very short. Go, take who you need."

"Yes sir."

Oxana left with a single squad of Blackhand soldiers, leaving Slavik outside with the remainder of his forces. They did not have much time to prepare for the heretic reinforcements, but he would make do.

"I have a clear view of the force being sent to the station right now," CABAL abruptly reported. "Two platoons of infantry, plus a single squad of Hassan's elite guard. As well as an Attack Buggy, and a Scorpion tank."

"A Scorpion? Are you sure?" Slavik asked, now less sure of his chances.

"Of course I am. My calculations show a loss of 100% casualties, yourself included. You could always retreat. There is no shame in that, other than the utter humiliation." CABAL stated arrogantly.

Slavik just gritted his teeth and held his ground. If he was to die, then it would be in service to the Spirit Hand of Kane.

"Blackhand! No enemy shall stand before us! No heretic or blasphemer shall be allowed to live! We shall stand and fight! And if we die, it shall be in the name of Kane!"

"Kane lives in death!"

His men were ready, as was he. But that did not stop him from offering a prayer to Kane that Oxana's plan would work. He would need a miracle at this point.

… … …

He checked over his weapon for the umpteenth time, making sure it was ready. He also recited another verse from the Book of Nod in his head, perhaps the hundredth verse he could remember. Yet none of this would help calm his nerves. How could he be calm when they were about to face down the arch traitor himself: Anton Slavik.

Realizing that there simply was no way to calm himself down, Wade Tabok instead decided to keep his mind distracted with something else. He at first focused on the Scorpion tank they were following, an old rusted hunk of junk that was over thirty years old. At least the thing could still fire it's main gun. Then he looked to the Buggy, a newer model built to be survivable in Tiberium infested areas. Tabok felt slightly better, knowing they had vehicle support, but still the stories he had heard of the Blackhand gave him great anxiety.

With the Blackhand having been missing since the end of the Tiberium War, following the death of Kane and General Gideon Raveshaw, they only had recently resurfaced, and immediately proclaimed General Hassan a traitor. The whole thing was well above Tabok's pay grade, but even he knew Hassan's leadership was destroying the Brotherhood. If only the Messiah would return to them, and save them like it had been promised.

"TV station is just a few klicks away. Ready yourselves: the traitors will no doubt be waiting for us."

Tabok was broken from his thoughts as the leader of the group spoke. A soldier of the Elite Guard, Confessor Al-zawahri was an arrogant and prideful man who treated anyone not in Hassan's Guard as second-rate filth.

"Any news from our brothers inside the station?" A regular Nod soldier asked.

"We lost radio contact with the station. We have to assume the traitors have full control. But that is not our main objective: death of the arch traitor is." Al-zawahri growled back.

Tabok gripped his rifle tighter and offered another prayer. As he did, he noticed his squadmate and friend stepping up next to him.

"Can you believe this brother? We could be the ones to kill Anton Slavik! Imagine the glory!" Private Aaron Innes said enthusiastically.

"I wouldn't be so naïve Aaron. Do you have any idea who we face? The things he's done?"

"Of course I know. That is why we would be greatly rewarded if we were to kill him."

"Faith is its own reward. To want anything else is mere pride, and that dear brother, is a sin."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Don't have to get all preachy with me."

The two fell silent as they began to crest a small hill. As they did, the TV station came into view, as did the hastily made defences of the traitors. The Blackhand forces had entrenched themselves around the outer perimeter of the station, using abandoned vehicles and other debris that had littered the parking lot for cover. It would do little against a tank, but it did leave the Loyalist forces without much cover for themselves.

Without warning the Scorpion opened fire, blasting apart several rusted cars that had been pulled together. The Blackhand returned fire, firing precise bursts into the Loyalist ranks. Tabok and Aaron both dove for cover behind the tank, along with the Elites. The Loyalists began shooting back as the Buggy opened up with its heavy gun. Tabok couldn't see much of what was happening, even as he stepped around the tank to fire a burst. He could, however, see a Blackhand soldier take aim at him, so he quickly emptied the rest of his mag in a wild spray. It sent the soldier into cover and allowed Tabok to get behind the tank to reload.

Aaron was there again as well, and was about to say something to him when the tank fired once more, causing Tabok's ears to start ringing. He ignored his friend and stepped out again, hunting for more targets, but stopped when he noticed the smoking hole in the side of the TV station. The tank again fired, aiming higher this time clearly trying to hit the antennae array at the top of the building.

Confused, Tabok looked around for Al-zawahri. He found the man crouched behind a series of rocks, shouting into his radio while the rest of the Elites were trading fire with the Blackhand. Tabok darted over to the Confessor, dodging stray bullets that impacted nearby. When he slid into cover beside Al-zawahri, he received an icy glare from the man as he continued to shout into the radio.

"…I don't care! Bring the whole thing down if you have to! I will not have my order questioned again."

Al-zawahri returned the radio to his belt before finally turning to face Tabok, anger still contorting his face.

"What do you want Corporal?"

"Forgive me sir, but why are we destroying the station? Our orders were to retake it. We could have brothers and sisters still trapped inside!"

Tabok's voice was pleading, hoping the Confessor would be understanding. He couldn't have been more wrong.

"Our orders have changed. The lives of anyone inside is inconsequential. We are to annihilate the traitors, no matter the cost. Now I am tired of having you people questioning my commands! Follow your orders or be branded a heretic."

Tabok recoiled at Al-zawahri's anger. He solemnly nodded his head and dashed back towards the Scorpion, where Aaron and the rest of his squad were still taking refuge. Aaron gave him a questioning look, but Tabok simply shook his head.

The Loyalist forces were slowly gaining ground, with the Buggy making short work of the makeshift defences. Meanwhile, the Scorpion continued to pound away at the station, but with its fire now drawn away, the Blackhand seemed emboldened to fight back. Tabok watched several comrades be shot dead, only for the Blackhand soldiers be torn apart by the Buggy.

Something didn't feel right, like a pit had formed in the middle of Tabok's stomach. As he looked around to see Nod fight Nod, brother kill brother, he knew this was not what Kane had envisioned. But what could he do? He was just a simple man, a lowly soldier. What could he do to end the madness?

"Hey are you okay?"

The question came from Aaron who gave him a concerned look. Tabok was about to reply when a grenade exploded nearby. The other men in Tabok's squad peeked out to return fire, but he found himself rooted in place. Something was telling him that this was all wrong, that it had to stop. He felt sick to his stomach.

The Scorpion fired again, this time much closer to the antennae array. Tabok wanted to scream for the crew to stop.

"Wade! Get a hold of yourself man!" Aaron shouted.

Tabok merely nodded his head and stepped around the Scorpion with Aaron. He sighted a Blackhand soldier in his scopes and readied to pull the trigger, but he nearly dropped his rifle when he saw who it was. The arch traitor: Anton Slavik, was in Tabok's sights. All he had to do was pull the trigger, and this battle would be over. But he couldn't do it: it was if someone was controlling his body and preventing him from shooting. It felt like he was wrestling with his own soul, and at the last moment, he shifted his aim slightly to the left and fired a burst.

It obviously missed, and Anton Slavik dove for cover. Whatever had taken hold over Tabok suddenly vanished, and he himself jumped back into safety behind the tank just as Aaron finished reloading his weapon.

"Push forward you dogs! The traitors are nearly finished!" Al-zawahri bellowed.

The Loyalists began to inch their way forward, encroaching on the Blackhand's crumbling defences. But they all stopped dead in their tracks when a new voice suddenly crackled over their radios.

"_Brothers and Sisters of the Brotherhood!" _

The voice was female, and oddly familiar, like Tabok had heard her from somewhere before.

"_For too long we have suffered under the inept rule of Hassan. The time has come to unite under a new leader."_

Tabok looked around and noticed other Loyalist forces were stunned by the broadcast. Many had stopped fighting to try and listen, something that greatly angered Confessor Al-zawahri.

"What are you doing you spineless dogs!? Ignore the heretic's lies! Fight or die!"

"_Rally to the banner of the Blackhand! Rally to Anton Slavik, he who has been chosen by the Spirit Hand of Kane! Peace through power!"_

Tabok was stunned and felt like he couldn't move. His doubts about fighting the Blackhand had doubled and now he didn't know what to do. He looked around, and could see others likewise were struck with doubt. This all very clearly upset Al-zawahri as he pointed his rifle to the closest loyalist soldier, his voice booming over the radio.

"To anyone who would dare defy General Hassan, the true leader of the Brotherhood! You will all die heretics' deaths! You will obey and you will fight! Now shoot back, damn you!"

Most of the Loyalist forces remained still, unsure of what to do. Tabok once again felt a strange presence fill him, and he realised he had lifted his own radio to his face. He steeled himself as he knew what had to be done.

"Brothers! We have been touched by the Spirit Hand of Kane! Down with the traitor Hassan!"

At first it seemed as though no one would follow his lead. He even received an astonished look from Aaron. But the world quickly exploded into chaos when the Scorpion suddenly rotated its turret, and fired on the Attack Buggy. The violent explosion from the buggy sent the Loyalists into a frenzy, as those who remained loyal to Hassan found themselves fighting against those who had allied with Slavik. The only problem was, no one could really tell who was who.

However Tabok decided to ignore that and focus on finding Al-zawahri and the rest of the Elites. They would be easier to spot with their blue markings over the traditional black and red of the Brotherhood. He found the squad of Elites huddled by a cluster of rocks, now surrounded by dead Loyalist soldiers. Tabok darted over to a small ditch, quickly joined by the other members of his squad.

"Impressive Corporal. You caused everyone to turn on each other."

The scathing remark came from the squad's sergeant, a man named Damien. He was nearly in his fifties, yet still remained a lowly sergeant, despite having survived through the Tiberium War and the ongoing Reunification War. Tabok had come to respect the man, even if he was as sociable as a Tiberian Fiend.

"It was the right thing to do Sergeant Damien. And you know it."

"Still made a bloody mess of things." Damien growled back.

"What do we do?" Aaron asked.

Tabok and Damien peeked over their cover, only to duck right back down as bullets impacted around their ditch. Al-zawahri and his Elites were still crouched by the rocks, now trapped by former Loyalists. However it would be no easy task to dig them out.

"Any bright ideas Corporal? Maybe another divine inspiration?" Damien scoffed.

Tabok didn't reply as he tried to think of a solution. He eventually came upon an idea, but it wasn't an ideal one.

"We need a diversion, so half the squad can sneak around and flank them." Tabok tried to sound confident; he could only hope he succeeded.

"I was thinking the same thing. Alright, listen up people! Corporal Tabok and Private Innes will flank the arrogant bastards. You two will stay and help me. Don't mess this up Wade."

Tabok just nodded in response, then moved further down the ditch with Aaron in tow. Damien and the other two members of their squad readied themselves to attack. Tabok found a good position to flank around the enemy, then knelt down and bowed his head to pray. Aaron quickly followed suit, and Tabok began to recite a common Nod prayer.

"Blessed be the Messiah Kane. Grant us the strength to carry out your will and offer us protection against the heretic, the defiler, and the unclean. Peace through power."

"One vision. One purpose." Aaron finished.

The two exchanged a look: they were as ready as they were going to be. As if on cue, Damien and his men rose to their feet and opened fire, bombarding Al-zawahri's position with a hail of bullets. However the much better armed and armoured Elites returned fire and quickly drove them back, but they were distracted enough for Tabok and Aaron to dart across the scarred field towards a large boulder that would let them flank the Elite's position.

Tabok quickly checked over his Excalibur and took a deep breath.

"Kane lives in death!"

He rounded the corner and sighted the first Elite he could see. He held down on the trigger and sprayed the area with bullets. The elite Nod soldier was cut down unawares, but the others reacted faster diving for cover. Tabok and Aaron retreated as the return fire pelted the boulder. Tabok reloaded and readied to attack again, but stopped when he felt the cold barrel of a gun pressed to the back of his head.

He looked to see Aaron pointing his rifle at whoever was behind Tabok, but he was clearly scared about hitting Tabok. He tried to turn to see who was behind him, but the assailant pressed the gun harder against his skull.

"You damned traitors. You filthy savage fucks! You couldn't just follow your damn orders like good obedient servants."

Tabok instantly recognized the voice as Al-zawahri, only he seemed more frantic than usual.

"You should surrender brother. The Spirit Hand of Kane clearly protects Slavik. He will be the one to reunite us, not Hassan." Tabok said, trying to placate the man.

"Shut up! You damned fanatics are just all blind idiots! Kane. Is. Dead!"

"Kane _lives_ in death!"

Aaron's shout startled both of them as he fired a single bullet. It passed through Tabok's shoulder and into Al-zawahri's chest, causing him to stumble backwards. Tabok fell to the ground, half to avoid the final shot from Aaron into Al-zawahri's head, half from the pain that exploded though him.

He turned to see Al-zawahri's lifeless eyes staring into the sky. Tabok just hissed in pain and thanked Kane above. Aaron rushed over to him and looked over his wound, panic set in his eyes. Tabok quickly silenced any apologies and pulled out his radio to call for a medic. Moments later Sergeant Damien arrived, along with the other members of the squad, as well as a Nod Apothecary. The Apothecary set to work on Tabok's wounded shoulder, while Damien stood above him with a small smirk on his face.

"Not exactly part of the plan. But I suppose that works; good job."

"Thanks Damien." Tabok growled as the Apothecary prodded his wound.

The group grew quiet as the Blackhand soldiers swept through the former Loyalists. Many bowed down out of respect, or fear. Others simply stared, awestruck. Tabok spotted the familiar figure of Anton Slavik as he climbed atop the Scorpion and looked down at the assembled crowd.

"Brothers and Sisters of Nod!" His voice carried across the now silent battlefield. "You have proven your devotion to Kane and true loyalty to Nod. But this battle is not yet won. Hassan's Elite Guard must be removed! March with me now, and fight for the Brotherhood!"

The crowd cheered as Slavik raised his arms like some great conqueror. Tabok felt a wave of devotion flow through him as he was swept up by Slavik's words. He would fight for the true heir of Nod, and he would relish in bringing the arrogant Elites to their knees.

… … …

Oxana had a scowl on her face as she read through the stack of papers that had been handed to her. Slavik suppressed a smile at the sight of her so frustrated.

"How this garrison was even allowed to function is beyond me!" She exclaimed, throwing her arms in the air. "Five Scorpion tanks, all without replacement parts. Eight Buggies, well, seven now, most with damaged Tiberium filters. At least we have six Attack Bikes in working order, but the list of problems just goes on. CABAL won't be happy about this."

"When is he ever happy?" Slavik replied.

"At least he picks on you more than me. Still, Hassan's base is well defended, and we don't have much to work with."

"It will do. Go and marshal our forces. It's time to finish this."

Oxana saluted then trotted off into the base proper. Slavik just leaned against the hull of the Montauk, now parked beside what passed as a command centre for the garrison. They would need to end this battle quickly so they could move against Hassan's headquarters in Cairo. CABAL was very particular about his timetables. He sighed and walked into the vehicle, making his way to the bridge. Once there he settled into his command throne, where he would organize the final attack.

"_We are ready to move at your command." _Oxana stated over the radio.

"Hassan's Guards will be waiting for you. I do hope you don't fail." CABAL chided from above Slavik's head.

"They will suffer for standing against us. Begin the attack."

Slavik watched as his forces began to mobilize. The Buggies and Bikes would race ahead to probe the enemies defences, while his infantry would move up with the tanks. Hassan's men were bound to be better equipped than his own forces, but he could win with less.

His forces eventually came upon the bridge that connected the Elite's base to the mainland, as it was built in the heart of a man-made lake. Slavik watched the visual feeds from the lead scouts, and had his assumptions confirmed. Defending the bridge were two Tick tanks; powerful Nod tanks that could burrow into the ground, essentially transforming themselves into fixed turrets. They easily outmatched the outdated Scorpions.

The scouts quickly turned back before they could enter into the Tick tanks' effective range. Slavik knew that getting past them would be no easy task. But there was simply no other way than to meet them head on.

"Deploy our tanks to the front of the formation. Engage the enemy Ticks, and use our Attack bikes as support. Once the defences are down, have our Buggies move forward to clear a path for the infantry." Slavik ordered calmly.

He watched as his commands were carried out. The five Scorpions rolled forward to meet the entrenched Ticks, while the Bikes moved around them like flies on a carcass. Together, they moved towards the bridge, where the Ticks were now patiently waiting for their prey. Without warning the Attack Bikes surged forward, launching missiles from their side mounted pods as they did. The missiles streaked across the rugged terrain, and many slammed into the thick armor plating of the Ticks. However the vast majority of the missiles instead impacted into the earthen barriers surrounding the vehicles, leaving the tanks still functional. Both Ticks began to fire back at the small Bikes, destroying several before they could escape.

Slavik's Scorpions then took the Bikes' place, and began unloading on the Ticks. However, like before, most of the shells exploded harmlessly against the entrenchment. The Ticks fired back, and one of the Scorpions went up in a brilliant fireball. Despite the Ticks advantages, the overwhelming numbers soon took their toll. One Tick was destroyed from a combined volley from three Scorpions, while the second was disabled by a lucky shot from an Attack Bike that came in for a second run.

Slavik wasted no time and ordered his men across the bridge. The Buggies went first and raced towards the enemy base, and Slavik watched as they reached the front entrance, where two oddly shaped defensive turrets guarded the way. Bright red lights erupted from the turrets and immediately turned two Attack Buggies into burning scrap. The others continued on unhindered and entered the base, whereupon they began mowing down the defending Elite soldiers.

Following up behind the Buggies were the four remaining Scorpions, one of which had its treads melted by another volley from the turrets. The other three made short work of the laser turrets, and moved into the base where they began attacking the main command center. Last to enter the base were the Bikes and the joint Nod infantry. Slavik watched as his men forced their way inside the hand shaped barracks, while the Bikes targeted power plants and the Tiberium refinery.

Hassan's Elite Guard would not be so easily defeated however. They quickly mounted a counter offensive, pushing forward with more Ticks in their mobile configuration, along with more infantry. The tables quickly turned against Slavik's forces. The Scorpions were barely put up any resistance before being wiped out by the technology advanced Tick tanks, while the Elite infantry found themselves forced to storm their own buildings. The only advantage Slavik had left were his smaller vehicles still moving swiftly through the enemy base, causing as much damage as they could.

"Is this all being relayed to Oxana?" Slavik asked almost disinterested.

"Of course it is. And it is being broadcasted as we speak. Would you like to know how many viewers we have in Cairo?" CABAL asked smugly, as he always did.

"No; I know we have the attention of our most important viewer."

"Then I assume it's time for the main event?"

"Yes CABAL, it is. You can let your _pets_ loose."

… … …

Tabok ducked his head behind the doorframe just as a hail of bullets passed through. He and the rest of his squad were trapped inside the enemy Hand of Nod, tasked with defending the entrance while the other two squads cleared out the subterranean structure. Everything was fine at first, until enemy reinforcements arrived and began driving out the Blackhand forces.

"And to think we could probably be relaxing in the rec room right now if _Corporal Saint Asshole _hadn't gotten all sanctimonious." Damien shouted angrily as he jammed a new magazine into his rifle.

"It was the right thing to do." Tabok argued for the hundredth time.

"Agree with Corporal. This is right path. Kane approves."

The words of support came from Private Sun Phong. A quiet man who rarely spoke, and when he did it was usually to offer religious advice.

"Of course the mighty prophet Phong approves. Spoken with the Messiah himself have you?" Damien chided.

"Kane speak to all of us. His hands guide us." Phong said reverently whilst tossing a grenade through the door.

"Bah! Just shut up and shoot."

They all followed orders as they attempted to shoot back at the advancing Elite troops. But there were simply too many of them, and the rest of the Blackhand forces were being overwhelmed. Tabok wasn't sure they would be able to survive this one, so he offered a prayer to Kane for safe passage into Heaven. Feeling reassured about his impending death, he stepped out of cover and fired wildly, as there was no shortage of targets.

Tabok held down on the trigger until his rifle clicked empty, then quickly jumped back into cover. In that brief time he had managed to see Elite troops storm into the command center, retaking it from the Blackhand forces. He also was able to see an entire company's worth of troops heading their way.

"Getting low on ammo Sergeant." Private Jet reported.

"Here!" Aaron tossed her a spare magazine, which she caught and slammed into her rifle.

Tabok once again stepped out to fire, firing three precise bursts which killed two and wounded a third Elite soldier. Phong tossed another grenade, the explosion taking out an entire squad. Yet the enemy continued, unhindered.

"Sergeant Zorvich! You better get your ass back up here, now!" Damien shouted through his radio.

"On our way up! Give us five minutes!"

"We don't have five minutes!"

Damien angrily tossed aside the radio and fired several sporadic bursts into the advancing enemy. Tabok loaded his final mag and noted the oddly calm faces of his companions. They knew they would die, but at least they would die in the true name of Kane.

"Peace through power." Tabok said solemnly.

The others echoed the Nod mantra and readied themselves for their last stand. In unison all five fired their weapons, killing nearly a dozen Elite soldiers. But when the enemy would not stop their advance, and five rifles clicked empty, Tabok knew he had met his end.

"Kane lives in death." Tabok whispered to himself.

Wade Tabok did not die however, as the enemy did not fill him with a hailstorm of bullets. Instead the ground itself shook as if it would rip open. The Elites lost their footing and looked around, confused, as did Tabok and his squad. Then like a whale breaking through the surface of the ocean, two Nod subterranean APCs burst forth, their large conical drills tearing apart the earth, and any unfortunate soul who was standing nearby.

Before anyone could react, the APCs ramps lowered, and unleashed a true nightmare. Tabok stood in shock as waves of horrific creatures marched forward and began firing on the Elite forces with arm mounted weapons. They were a hideous combination of flesh and metal: some still had human heads while others bore eerie metallic skulls. Tabok had heard rumors, but never thought them to be true, just GDI propaganda. But in front of him were Cyborgs, and they were decimating the enemy forces with ease.

Elite soldiers fled before the monstrosities, while others attempted to fight back. But it was a futile effort as the Cyborgs ripped through them. Other Cyborg units totting large anti-vehicle weapons began targeting the enemy Ticks. In a split second, the battle had once again shifted in favour of the Blackhand, and Tabok was left dumbfounded.

The sound of running feet behind them caused Tabok to turn in time to see Sergeant Zorvich and his two squads finally return from the lower levels of the barracks. Zorvich took one look outside and immediately grew pale.

"What in the name of God is going on out there?" He asked in a terrified tone.

"The will of Kane." Was all Damien said in response.

The Nod soldiers stood and watched as the Cyborgs annihilated the Elites, leaving nothing but carnage in their wake.

The wrath of Kane was truly awe inspiring as it was horrifying.

… … …

The fires had finally died down, casting the late evening sky in harsh reds. Slavik stood atop the ruins of the Elite's command center, as CABAL's Cyborgs picked through the ruins. He was slightly unnerved by the machines, but they had been created by Kane himself, and only recently brought to life by CABAL. He just had to remind himself that they were merely tools of the Brotherhood, and nothing more.

"There isn't much left to salvage. But we did gain some vital information about Hassan's troop movements." Oxana said as she stepped over to him.

"Then we are ready to make our final move. We will bring the traitor down once and for all." Slavik stated more to himself.

"It's been a long time coming. You will lead us to victory."

Oxana patted his shoulder before moving off, leaving Slavik alone.

Well, not entirely.

"You have done well, so far. But a greater test still lies ahead." CABAL said through Slavik's radio.

"Then I will complete this test, as I have always done."

"Indeed. Just remember that _he _is watching."

Slavik would not fail. He had been training his entire life for this exact moment. The hour of the Brotherhood's reunification was finally at hand.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

_A man must know his destiny… if he does not recognize it, then he is lost. By this I mean, once, twice, or at the very most, three times, fate will reach out and tap a man on the shoulder… if he has the imagination, he will turn around and fate will point out to him what fork in the road he should take, if he has the guts, he will take it._

_George S. Patton Jr._

**Cairo, Egypt**

**August 31****st**** 2030**

**1130**

A high wind gusted through the desert, shifting the Tiberium infested sands. Sometimes the sand would shift to hide the rusted remains of ruined war machines. Other times it would instead reveal the sun bleached bones of fallen warriors. The land of Egypt was sacred to the Brotherhood, venerated by the blood of its faithful for decades, millennia if you believed the whispered tales.

Slavik stood on the outskirts of Cairo, now an abandoned waste as Tiberium quickly took hold. It gave him the advantage for the coming battle, as the military base that once controlled the outskirts was also abandoned, left to be picked over by desperate scavengers. However, across the bridge, over the now dry riverbed, laid Hassan's primary base, and his palace. Supposedly it had once belonged to an Arabian prince named Kassad, who feigned loyalty to Nod. How fitting that this holy place would bear witness to the death of a third traitor.

"You're brooding more than usual. I thought you would be excited." Oxana said as she seemingly appeared from nowhere.

Slavik didn't react to her sudden approach; instead he made a mental note to resume his combat training, to avoid being snuck up upon again.

"This could be it Oxana. The final battle that will see our people reunited. To finally end this petty bickering and turn our hatred to the true enemy: GDI."

"You will succeed as you always have. The Spirit Hand of Kane chose you to lead our Brotherhood. Have faith."

Slavik turned and gave her a smile, a rare thing that only she was privy too. Brother Higgs had been quite adamant about beating unnecessary emotions out of him. Oxana returned the smile and gave a knowing wink before walking back to the Montauk. Slavik remained where he stood so he could watch as his forces gathered. The Blackhand's numbers had swelled following Oxana's broadcast, giving him a rather diverse force.

On one side, he had his elite Blackhand soldiers, all specially trained and armed with the best equipment. He also had CABAL's Cyborgs, and several battalions of Tick tanks. On the other side he had the local Nod forces, using a mishmash of gear, alongside rows of Scorpion tanks that were supplemented with several old Rocket Buggies. It was an odd force, but it would be more than enough to bring Hassan and his Elite Guard down.

"Our scouts have reported hostile activity within the city. It would seem this side of the bridge is well guarded." CABAL reported with his usual disdain.

"How? This area was supposed to be clear of Hassan's men. How could your intelligence be wrong?" Slavik demanded agitatedly.

"My intelligence is not wrong. The city is devoid of Hassan's men. However, I did not take into account…other parties."

"You don't mean the Forgotten do you? Damned mutants! No matter, we can deal with them. Inform the brigade commanders of the development. I won't let those unworthy of divination stand in our way."

"As you wish."

Slavik clenched his fists in anger. The last thing he needed was mutants getting in the way of his crusade. He let his frustration out with a long breath, then turned back to the Montauk. He would deal with the Forgotten quickly then bring the wrath of Kane down upon Hassan. But he would have to be cautious, for as unorganized and savage as the mutants were, they could be a very deadly foe.

"CABAL, give me an estimate of the Forgotten's strength." Slavik demanded as he entered the Montauk.

"Our scouts indicate a small salvaging operation located in the old city garrison. There is also a small defense force located at the bridge, along with several patrols inside the main city. Hassan seems content to let us deal with them."

"We can worry about purging the city later. But our first objective will have to be to destroy that salvaging base. Assemble a task force to eliminate it."

"As you command."

Slavik reached the bridge, where Oxana and her assistant were already hard at work. CABAL was abnormally silent as he carried out his orders, so Slavik moved to the front window to continue watching his army move slowly towards the outer limits of Cairo.

"This is what I trained you for boy. You better not waste all that time and effort we put in you."

Slavik closed his eyes as the ethereal voice whispered in his ears.

"We pinned our hopes on you. You, who was chosen by that fucking machine's damned algorithms. All because we believed you could replace Kane. Can you boy? Can you replace Kane?"

The ghostly visage of Brother Higgs stood just behind Slavik, staring at him with black pits where his eyes once were.

"No one can replace Kane. But **I **will finish what _he_ started." Slavik said quietly so as to not be heard by the others.

Higgs' ghost didn't reply. Instead he faded away into the dark recesses of Slavik's mind. Now he stood alone and faced down his reflection.

Destiny was at hand.

… … …

The inside of the box shaped Reckoner APC was cramped and hot, filled to capacity with fully armored soldiers. The half-tracked vehicles were built like mobile bunkers, loaded with heavy armour. A sharp contrast to the old lighter APCs used during the Tiberium War, or the more specialized subterranean APCs Tabok had seen in Libya.

He wanted to brush the sweat from his face, but couldn't due to his helmet, and the fact he was shoulder to shoulder with Aaron and Phong. Damien sat further down near the hatch along with Jet. Across from Tabok was the other squad that was accompanying them. The imposing figures of the Blackhand was enough to both reassure Tabok and scare him shitless. Specifically, their leader, Staff Sergeant Joyce, who seemed to be staring right at him. Although it was impossible to tell through her helmet.

"_ETA to city limits__:__ one minute!" _The driver yelled over the radio.

Everyone immediately perked up and checked over their weapons as best as they could in the cramped space. While Tabok could not see, he was sure she was giving him a wicked grin. He was about to reply when the Reckoner came to an abrupt halt, with the ramp lowering just as the driver shouted:

"_Everyone out! We're taking heavy fire!"_

Tabok wasted no time in following the others out into the ruined streets of Cairo. He quickly followed everyone behind a second Reckoner that had crashed into a building, providing the Nod troops with perfect cover. Tabok turned to see the other four APCs stopping to deploy their occupants as bullets bounced off the armour. The other soldiers barely had time to make it to cover before a volley of missiles impacted the lead Reckoners, ripping them apart like tin cans.

Tabok followed the contrails to the rooftops, seeing several people armed with RPGs. Swarms of militants in all forms of ragged civilian clothing came rushing out from buildings and alley ways. Most wore head covers, but a few had their hideous faces open to the world, Tiberium growths glinting under the hot sun.

_Forgotten. Mutants. _

Tabok hated the Shiners; they were people unworthy of the gift of Tiberium. They were sinners who had been marked by God as unworthy of ascension. There was only one cure for their disease: death.

Tabok aimed at a trio of mutants armed with shotguns attempting to rush one of the Reckoners, no doubt hoping to steal it. He fired three bursts, and managed to hit two of the mutants. But his bullets only killed one and injured the other. The third mutant was nearly on top of the Reckoner before his head disappeared in a gory shower of brain matter and bits of skull. The final wounded mutant attempted to find safety, but died when a three round burst pierced through his chest. Tabok turned to see Joyce and her FAMAS. She gave a subtle nod of her head before turning back to the fight.

Tabok hunted for more targets, which wasn't an issue as more mutants flooded the streets. The Nod forces quickly became unable to move forward due to the sheer number of bodies the Forgotten were throwing at them. Missiles continued to rain down onto the Reckoners that were still trapped in the streets. It was quickly turning into a chaotic mess, and Tabok knew they would be overrun soon.

"Onager 3-7 this is Valkyrie 1-1! I need immediate fire support near our position. Enemy targets on the roofs are preventing us from moving forward!" Joyce yelled through her helmet's radio.

Tabok unloaded the remainder of his magazine into the mutant forces as he waited for the reply.

"_Valkyrie 1-1 we copy that. Fire mission approved and coordinates received. Bringing down the hammer of Kane!" _

Tabok tensed his body in anticipation of what was to come. Somewhere far off, back behind the Nod staging ground, a trio of SPGs were about to make the Forgotten very unhappy. The mutants continued their frenzied push, unaware of what was coming. Tabok kept shooting until moments later, a loud whistling could be heard, and the sky fell down upon them.

The two buildings upon which the Forgotten had set their trap crumbled like a house of cards, shrouding the entire street in a thick cloud of dust. Tabok held his head down as dust and debris whipped past him as more artillery shells rained down. Despite the intense noise, he could still make out the sound of gunfire. Both Nod and Forgotten forces were firing blindly into the dust, hoping to hit something. The artillery barrage quickly abated and Tabok was left with the excruciating task of waiting for the dust to settle enough that he could see.

"Onager 3-7, good effect on target! Wolf Actual, request we pull these Reckoners back and move up our Buggies. Mutant presence is still strong."

"_Understood Valkyrie 1-1. All Charon call signs are to pull back. Lancer 1-2 to 2-8 are to move up and reinforce. Purge the unclean from this city." _

Tabok shuttered at how cold Commander Slavik's voice was. He had heard stories about the '_Siberian Wolf,' _and about how he was an emotionless killing machine. Some stories went so far as to claim he was a machine built to reunite the Brotherhood. Whatever the truth was, there was no deny that he was an efficient leader, and Tabok could only pray his decision to follow Slavik and the Blackhand was the right one.

While Tabok was deep in thought, the Reckoner that had embedded itself into the building beside them began to rev its engines and attempt to pull out. Tabok and the others scrambled backwards as the APC managed to break free, but not without causing half of the wall to collapse out onto the street. The vehicle then quickly sped away, following the other remaining Reckoners that hadn't been outright destroyed.

The Nod forces were now left without much cover other than the debris littering the streets. But it seemed that the Forgotten had fallen back, for now. Joyce and her squad of Blackhand took the lead and called for everyone else to follow.

"We must push on before the mutants regroup. The old garrison is just up ahead."

The Nod forces cautiously made their way down the ruined street, careful to avoid the craters created by the artillery strike. Tabok was thankful for his helmet as he wouldn't have to worry about the mutant's stench. He glanced at the bodies that littered the street as he walked by. They were garbed in all manner of civilian clothes and scraped together armour. Most were even using weaponry that was over 40 years old. It was a wonder to Tabok how such creatures had even managed to organize themselves together, if one could consider the Forgotten a unified force.

Tabok nearly walked into Aaron when they abruptly stopped. He looked up to see Joyce had her fist raised and her Blackhand were already fanned out in a defensive perimeter. It took a minute later for the regular Nod forces to adopt their stance. Then Tabok heard what must have had Joyce concerned: vehicle engines.

Tabok's first thought was that it was reinforcements, perhaps the Buggies or additional Reckoners. However he found out quickly enough when two Forgotten Technicals appeared from the left hand intersection, followed by another platoon's worth of mutant soldiers. The Technicals opened fire and immediately tore apart two Nod soldiers, causing the others to scatter to find what cover they could.

Tabok found himself with Aaron and Joyce behind a Tiberium crusted van. Sparks flew off the rusted vehicle as one of the Technicals raked its machine gun over their position. Tabok went prone and aimed underneath the van, but could not get a clear shot on the gunner. He fired a burst at the mutant's legs, but his bullets missed. However extended fire from other Nod soldiers drove the Technical off, giving Tabok and the others a reprieve.

Joyce wasted no time and immediately began shouting orders. Soon the Nod forces quickly recovered from the sudden attack and began pushing the Forgotten back down the street. However the biggest issue were the two Technicals. Tabok and Aaron both began unloading their weapons on the Technical that had initially been harassing them, but their bullets simply pinged off the rusted armour plating. Both trucks drove in a somewhat organized pattern and they tried to support their infantry. But Tabok could see from his position that individual squad leaders were fighting with each other for control, giving Nod the clear advantage.

Tabok took aim at one such squad and spotted a large mutant with grotesque Tiberium growths on its left shoulder, who was bellowing at its men like some raging beast. Tabok fired a burst at its head, but the mutant shifted at the last possible moment, causing the bullets to glance off the shoulder growths. The Mutant howled in pain and immediately, the Forgotten squad turned and wildly returned fire, sending both Tabok and Aaron diving for cover. Joyce on the other hand, fired several three round bursts from her rifle, taking a few hits to her armour as she did, before she too was finally forced to take refuge.

Tabok took a quick glance to see all that remained was the mutant sergeant and a single soldier. Tabok quickly reloaded before he took aim at the single soldier. The mutant was preparing to lob a grenade, so Tabok fired a single bullet through his arm. The soldier fell with the grenade still in hand, and moments later, a loud explosion claimed the lives of both the mutant soldier and the sergeant. Tabok grinned triumphantly but stopped when he noticed the Technical returning.

The mutant gunner had him in his sights and Tabok knew he couldn't get to cover in time. However the gunner's head exploded in a gory mess and Tabok turned to see Joyce standing behind him. The Technical raced away, leaving behind its comrades as it fled deeper into the city.

"Thank you Sister." Tabok said, releasing the breath he didn't know he'd been holding.

"Don't thank me. Just keep killing this impure filth." Joyce said venomously.

Tabok just looked at Joyce with a sense of attraction, then quickly squashed the feeling and turned his attention to the Forgotten soldiers still desperately holding the street. Tabok, Aaron, and Joyce continued to pick off Forgotten soldiers, but the second Technical was still preventing the Nod forces from advancing. Tabok was about to turn to Joyce to figure out a solution when the Technical exploded in a brilliant flash.

A Nod Attack Bike along with two Buggies came up from behind the Nod forces. Tabok wanted to shout with joy at the sight but instead just enjoyed watching the mutants flee in terror. The Buggies didn't give them the option to run however, as their heavy guns tore through them. The Nod forces fell in behind the vehicles and continued their push forward, not stopping for even a moment. Tabok reloaded his weapon as he jogged along with the others.

They eventually passed through the buildings and came upon a large open square. Scattered all around were piles of debris and rusted wrecks. In the centre of the square stood a large ruined building that Tabok recognized as an old Nod command post. Forgotten banners now hung over the tattered walls, and Mutant soldiers stood waiting for them along with several more Technicals.

Joyce wasted no time and ordered the attack. Nod troops took position among the piles of scrap and opened up on the mutant soldiers. The Nod vehicles unleashed their weapons on the Forgotten armour, quickly turning most to flaming ruins before they could react. Despite having prepared for their attack, the Forgotten were highly disorganized. Tabok took down several mutants with ease, and Joyce was having an even easier time. The two worked in tandem, one firing while the other reloaded then switched.

More Nod forces began arriving, signalled by the Attack Bikes as they unleashed salvos of missiles at the ruined command building. Tabok was about to fire at a mutant soldier trying to load an RPG, but he didn't need to as a Buggy tore the mutant into pieces. The Forgotten forces were being completely slaughtered, and Tabok couldn't help but take immense joy in their destruction.

"Wolf Actual, Valkyrie 1-1. Enemy base has been cleared and Forgotten forces are fleeing into the city." Joyce reported enthusiastically.

"_Good work. Forget the mutants in the city. Rejoin our main force and make your way towards the bridge. Hassan's men no longer guard it, but there is a formidable Forgotten defence there."_

"Understood Actual. Valkyrie out."

Tabok stood beside Joyce as she surveyed the destruction. The mutant forces had scattered, and Nod soldiers were already setting fire to the old command building. The Attack vehicles raced off again, leaving the infantry to follow behind. Joyce walked over to speak with several Blackhand members, so Tabok went hunting for his own squad with Aaron in tow.

He found Damien, Phong, and Jet gathered by a destroyed Forgotten Technical. Tabok and Aaron walked over just as Damien was in the midst of a conversation.

"…I'll bet you one hundred cubits Hassan hired those mutant freaks. We all knew he was in bed with GDI, it's not too hard to think he'd sleep with the Forgotten too." Damien punctuated his remark with a low growl.

"Hopefully not literally." Jet added with a shudder.

Damien looked up as Tabok approached.

"Well look who showed up. Had fun brown nosing the Staff Sergeant?"

Damien aimed his snide remark towards Tabok.

"It was a chaotic situation, we got separated. Besides I like to think of it as combat experience." Tabok replied.

Damien just grumbled and motioned for them all to follow him as the Nod forces left behind the old garrison and the fleeing Forgotten forces. Tabok knew from the briefing that they would now be making their way towards a bridge that crossed a dried up river. Originally it was expected to be defended by Hassan's men, but now that they knew it was just more Forgotten, Tabok was convinced it would make for a much easier time getting through.

"We got those damned shiners on the run, now we can finally bring down those arrogant Elite bastards." Aaron said vehemently.

"Agreed, it finally feels like we are on the right path again." Tabok replied, his focus on Joyce farther up ahead.

"Spirit Hand of Kane guide us. He spoke to you brother, you are special." Phong said in his usual cryptic speech.

"Don't give Wade delusions of grandeur. Last thing I need is for him to think he's the second coming of Kane." Damien growled.

Tabok couldn't help but bark out laughing at that, but quickly stopped when Joyce turned and faced him. And although he couldn't see her face, he could imagine the death glare she just gave.

"Anyways, I can't wait to bring Hassan kicking and screaming out from his palace. Do you think Commander Slavik would give me a promotion?" Aaron asked with almost child like excitement.

"Sure he would. He'd probably make you the new Grand Confessor." Jet remarked.

"Really? Don't know if I want to be a holy man."

"I was joking dipshit."

"_Valkyrie we are taking heavy fire! Where the hell are you__!?"_

Everyone stopped for a moment at the sudden outburst over the radio. Joyce quickly thrust her fist into the air before she replied.

"We are almost at the bridge. What call sign is this? What's going on?"

"_This is Lancer 2-2! Forgotten forces have deployed heavy armour and are wiping us out!" _

Tabok went pale; how could the mutants have heavy armour? This was supposed to be a quick clean up so the main force could push through.

"Hang in there Lancer! Valkyrie out! Let's move people!"

The Nod forces began to run at double time, rushing down the deserted streets. Tabok threw all concerns of another ambush away as he was more concerned for his brothers and sisters up ahead. It would seem the Forgotten had not completely given up yet.

By the time Tabok and the others reached the bridge, the battle was already turning against the Nod forces. Burning wrecks of Attack Buggies were scattered everywhere, and Bikes desperately weaved through the street, trying to avoid fire or send a return salvo of rockets. Tabok nearly stopped at the sight of the mutant's tanks, unable to believe what he was seeing: old rusted GDI Abrams tanks, repainted with the Forgotten's colours and covered in bolted on armour plating. The tanks looked like they should barely function, yet they were easily destroying the light vehicles. Upon seeing the Nod infantry, the mutants manning the turret mounted machine guns quickly swiveled towards them and opened fire.

Tabok watched several Nod soldiers be killed before they could reach cover. He along with his squad and Joyce's found themselves inside the main lobby of an apartment building. It was completely barren, save for piles of garbage.

"Wolf Actual we are pinned down at the bridge! Request armour support, over?"

"_Negative Valkyrie. Our tanks won't make it too you in time."_

Slavik's voice was as impassive as ever, and Tabok wondered if he would be just as cold and uncaring if he were under direct fire.

"Then I'm requesting support from Onager."

"_Negative. We can not risk damage to the bridge. We will have to find another way to open the path."_

Joyce silenced the line and began uttering a string of curses that left Tabok dazed. He looked towards Damien, but he simply shook his head as he clearly was shocked too. She quickly calmed herself then reopened the line.

"What do you suggest we do sir?"

Joyce turned her head to face everyone in the room, seeing if anyone else had a suggestion, but no one answered.

"_There is one thing, though I was hoping to save it. Hang tight Sister, help will arrive shortly." _

"Okay you heard the Commander! Hunker down and hold this position! Don't let one fucking Shiner live!"

"Peace through power!" Tabok and the others shouted in unison.

Tabok moved to the window to find targets, and was slightly shocked to see mutants rushing into the street to collect scrap from the bikes and buggies. Many were women and even children as they ducked low to avoid the bullets still flying around. He felt only disgust at the sight, and took aim at a teenaged girl picking over a fallen Nod soldier. He felt no remorse for what he was about to do, and pulled the trigger.

The girl collapsed with a gaping hole in her chest. Many of the mutants looked on in horror at her mangled corpse.

"Let none live!" Joyce shouted.

Upon hearing her command the Nod forces began tearing apart the civilian scavengers. Their screams drowned out by the roar of gunfire. The mutant tank crews tried desperately to help, but couldn't fire without hitting their own people.

Just when Tabok thought they might have the upper hand, angered roars echoed down the street and even over the sound of gunfire. More Forgotten soldiers came rushing out from old tunnels underneath the city. Tabok thought they were coming to the aide of the mutant scavengers, but he quickly realized that they were running away from something as they charged headfirst into the Forgotten's line.

For the second time Tabok came face to face with monsters, and it wasn't the twisted shiners: no it was the Cyborgs. The horrendous half human, half machines began pouring out from the same tunnels the mutants had fled from, tearing into them with their arm mounted weapons. Some of the Forgotten turned to fight the cyborgs, but much to Tabok's astonishment and fear, the cyborgs simply just batted them away like annoying flies. In one case he watched a cyborg lift a large mutant into the air and rip him in half, spraying the street with dark blood.

"Don't just stand there and gape! Open fire!"

Joyce's command broke Tabok from his stupor, and he quickly took aim at the fleeing mutants, while the cyborgs turned to ripping apart the Forgotten tanks. Much like with Hassan's Elites back in Libya, the cyborgs had turned the tide in their favour. And he didn't know whether to be grateful, or terrified.

… … …

"100% efficiency. Only 2.87% casualties. All units performed to my exact specifications. It is a wonder why you even use such inefficient things as…_humans._"

CABAL said the last word like it left a bad taste in his mouth, if he had one. Slavik just sighed at the AI's remarks and watched via video screen as his forces crossed the now opened bridge. The Forgotten had been virtually wiped out, and whatever survivors remained had fled deeper into Cairo. He would deal with their infestation later, but now he could focus on the main prize.

"What can you tell me of Hassan's base?" Slavik demanded.

"A well organized complex, divided in two sections: one upper near the palace, and one lower. It will be a daunting task to assault his compound."

"Once we push through the lower base, the upper plateau will fall easily. It is not as well defended. It seemed Hassan never suspected anyone getting so close." Oxana added.

Slavik simply nodded his head and watched the last of his forces cross the bridge into the barren badlands beyond the city. Reckoners, most still damaged from the Forgotten ambush, ferried his troops behind a wall of armoured vehicles. Meanwhile CABAL'S Cyborgs had returned to the tunnels, searching for a way into Hassan's own underground network.

"Has there been any movement from GDI?" Oxana directed her question to CABAL.

"None, other than the repositioning of one of their Sky Sentry satellites."

"Content to just watch then. That's fine, we will deal with the fascists soon enough." Slavik stated coldly, putting an end to the conversation.

On screen, the vanguard of Slavik's forces had come into view of Hassan's base. High walls surrounded the complex, and a single gate granted access, guarded by a row of powerful laser turrets. Beyond that he could see Tiberium refineries and power plants, along with logistical buildings and housing complexes. He also spotted the squat barracks used by the Brotherhood of Nod, built to resemble a human hand. Finally Slavik noted several warfactories built along the main access road through the tunnels that led to the upper plateau, where the palace was located. CABAL was not lying when he said it would be a daunting task.

"_Wolf Actual this is Valkyrie 1-1. We have visual on enemy compound. Looks like the heretics are hiding inside like cowards! Request we give them a proper knock on the door."_

Slavik smiled viciously at Joyce's wording.

"Understood Valkyrie. All Onager units prepare to fire on designated coordinates. CABAL if you would be so kind."

"Done."

Outside of the Montauk, eight Nod SPGs unleashed a volley of artillery fire across the dried riverbed. Slavik watched the destructive rain as it fell on the walls of the enemy base. Large explosions threw dust and sand into the air and created a thick cloud, obstructing his view. The artillery guns fired another three volleys before Slavik gave the order to stop.

"Now is the hour of reunification. Commence the attack!"

… … …

General Hassan paced across the wood panel floor of his office, walking back and forth in front of the ivory and ebony laced desk. All of them were leftovers from the palace's previous owner, and should have been removed, however he had simply grown used to the absurd luxury.

"_Would you please stop pacing. You're giving me headache."_

Hassan growled at the arrogant tone; there were very few people who would dare speak to him like that.

"And what would you have me do? The enemy is at my gates and you refuse to send help!" Hassan regretted the outbreak, but his patience had worn thin.

"_I keep telling you, if we got involved__,__ people would know you work for us. And that would only help fuel Slavik's cause."_

"Work _with_ you. Not for you." Hassan corrected.

"_Believe what you want."_

"Damn you Volkov! This could be our only chance to kill the bastard!"

"_It's been a pleasure Hassan. Best of luck."_

Before Hassan could protest the line went dead. For the first time in almost two decades, doubt gripped the General's body as he felt alone and defenceless. He didn't understand: how could he be betrayed like this? All that he had done was for the unity of the Brotherhood. True, he had been forced to work with GDI, and he had enjoyed the benefits that it had awarded him, but he still did it with pure intentions.

"Kane, please help me." Hassan prayed desperately.

Hassan reached into a drawer in his desk and felt the cool metal of his pistol. He drew it out and made sure the magazine was full, he was not defeated yet, and he would be damned if he let everything he had worked for be wasted. He placed the gun in his holster, then quickly called for his aide.

"Send all of our best troops to the front! We must stop the traitors before they reach the palace. And prepare my personal Harpy for departure."

… … …

Red light flashed passed Tabok's face, causing the faceplate to polarize. He didn't see where the laser bolt struck, but he was more concerned with staying alive. He leaped over the debris of what was once a Reckoner before it had been cored by a laser. Despite the artillery barrage, a handful of turrets had survived and were now trying to stop the Nod forces.

Tabok spotted Damien and the others pushing up behind a Tick tank, and he made a mad dash towards them. As he did, two Rocket Buggies fired a salvo at the laser turrets, destroying them in a blindingly bright explosion.

"_Push through! Get inside the base now!" _Joyce shouted from somewhere amidst the chaos.

Tabok had just reached his squad, panting hard, when Damien ordered them to move. He groaned to himself and tried to keep pace, falling in beside Jet. Her lithe figure seemed at odds with the Squad Automatic Weapon she carried. Damien had them leave the cover of the tank and moved them towards their first objective: the Hand of Nod.

A squad of Elite soldiers came rushing out from the Hand. Tabok and the others quickly stopped and raised their weapons. Tabok fired a burst that caught an Elite in the shoulder, causing him to stumble and fall over. The others managed to get a few shots off before they were torn apart. Damien led the squad towards the Hand, as battle raged all around them. Friendly Tick and Scorpion tanks were engaged with Elite Ticks and Buggies, while the Rocket buggies fired off salvos of rockets towards the enemy power plants. Bullets, tank shells, and laser bolts flew through the air, and men and women who were once united under the same banner were now slaughtering each other. It caused Tabok's heart to sink but he had to put those feelings aside.

The squad stacked up by the main entrance to the Hand of Nod. Their orders had been to secure it, as it offered entry to the underground network of tunnels. Once secure, the Cyborgs would be able to join the fray; he just hoped they would be out of the way before those things showed up.

"Aaron, get the door. Jet, cover him." Damien ordered.

Aaron grabbed hold of the handle and nodded towards Jet, who held her SAW at the ready. Aaron threw the door open and Jet unloaded with her weapon. Tabok couldn't see down the hall, but anyone standing there would be nothing more than minced meat. Jet quickly reloaded her weapon as Aaron and Phong stepped through. Tabok followed just behind and found four Elite guards dead and missing limbs.

"Sweep and clear, let's make this quick. Main goal is the access tunnel."

Everyone nodded in acknowledgment and made their way through the barracks. It was mostly empty, with the Elite troopers already outside trying to defend the base. But they still occasionally encountered some security forces. It was easy work, but there were several sub levels to go through, and Tabok felt anxious about leaving the battle above them. However they made quick progress and eventually found themselves on the final level. They entered into a large storehouse, and found a squad of Elites setting up barricades, only it was against the far wall leaving their backs exposed.

Tabok didn't have time to ponder why, as the squad opened fire on the enemy, cutting them down before they could even respond. Tabok reloaded his rifle as Damien stepped over to the door, quickly throwing it open and revealing the darkened tunnels beyond. A cold feeling passed down Tabok's spine at the thought of the Cyborgs making their way through the darkness and no doubt the Elites had been afraid of the same thing.

"Valkyrie 1-1 come in? This is 6-1, objective secured. We're returning top side."

"_Understood 6-1. Regroup on me ASAP." _

"Copy, wilco. Let's move people."

The trek back to surface went by much faster as they jogged through the empty halls. As soon as they reached the main floor, the sounds of battle once again assaulted their ears. The Blackhand forces had pushed deep into the Elite base, but it was still very much undecided who was winning. Blackhand and Elite tanks continued to duel each other, the base now littered with burning wrecks of Scorpions and Ticks. Meanwhile, lighter vehicles had moved deeper into the base, providing cover for infantry units as they carried out various objectives. Countless buildings were up in flames, but they still had to push their way to the upper base, and the palace guarded within.

"Come on, Staff Sergeant Joyce is waiting for us near the enemy's radar station."

Damien led them across the enemy base, careful to avoid the sporadic firefights being fought everywhere. Tabok could see a large radar dish ahead of them, sitting atop a squat concrete building. They were nearly there when a burst of bullets impacted at their feet, sending the squad scattering. Tabok watched in horror as another burst caught Jet in the back, causing her to collapse face first into the dirt.

"Cease fire! They're friendlies damn it! Star! I say again star!"

Tabok looked towards the squad of soldiers that had just fired at them, and to his anger, realized they were indeed friendly.

"Castle!"

Damien shouted the counter word, then ran over to Jet, Tabok and the others close behind him

"Is she okay?" The question came from Aaron.

"Medic! I need a medic over here!" Damien shouted frantically.

Tabok just stared down at Jet's body, unmoving on the cold ground. He looked up to see the other squad rushing over, and hot anger exploded through him.

"What the fuck! You god damned idiots!"

Before Tabok realized what he was doing, he punched a soldier square in the face plate, causing it to crack slightly. Only after did he realize he had just struck a sergeant. One of the other soldiers snapped up his rifle just as Aaron grabbed Tabok by the shoulders.

"Stand down Wade!"

"You fucking idiots!"

"Where the fuck is that medic!"

"I'm losing her! Jet, hang on!"

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?"

Everyone turned at the ferocious yell from Joyce. She and her squad of Blackhand marched over to the two squads before noting Jet's prone body. One of her men ran over and began to gingerly check her body, as Joyce marched straight towards Tabok.

"Corporal, care to explain what is happening here?"

Before Tabok could get one word out, Damien quickly cut in, perhaps to Tabok's benefit.

"It was a case of friendly fire. Sergeant Zorvich accidentally shot and wounded one of my men."

"Killed."

Everyone turned to face the Blackhand soldier. He slowly stood up and whispered a prayer towards Jet's body, then turned to face the others.

"She's dead." Was all he said.

Tabok was ready to burst again and punch Sergeant Zorvich, but Aaron kept a steady grip.

"We don't have the time to sort this out. Sergeant Zorvich, please identify who fired the killing shot."

"Well Staff Sergeant, it's hard to tell who did. It's just so chaotic, we didn't-"

"I asked for a name not excuses!"

"Private Cabak, Staff Sergeant." Zorvich sounded as if he were losing a loved one.

Joyce turned to the accused soldier and fired a bullet into his head. Everyone stared in mute shock before Joyce spoke again.

"There. Justice is done. Now we need to move forward. Our next objective is to secure the main tunnel. To do that we have to capture the auxiliary command post. Let's get going people."

Joyce began to walk away, followed by the others. But Tabok remained in place, staring down at the two dead bodies before him.

"Is there a problem Corporal?" Joyce asked in an annoyed tone.

"No Staff Sergeant."

Tabok joined the others and continued through the base, careful to stay far away from Zorvich. Aaron tried to give him a reassuring pat on the back, but Tabok was more worried about Damien and how he was taking the loss. He was also angry at Joyce for seeming so callous about the whole ordeal, but deep down he knew she was just doing her job. Still, he couldn't help but feel raw at having lost a friend to friendly fire. Tabok shot Zorvich a glare before he moved ahead and came up beside Damien.

"You good Corporal?" He asked before Tabok could speak.

"Yeah I'm good Sergeant. But what about you?"

"Don't mind me."

"Damien."

"I'll deal with it later. If I think about it now, then I'll just want to clock Zorvich."

Tabok felt oddly better hearing that his feelings were shared by Damien. The two walked in silence as the small unit weaved their way through the base. The fighting was steadily pushing towards the cliffs and the main tunnel. Tabok could see allied tanks battling against Elite Ticks which had dug themselves into the ground, while infantry and light vehicles tried to stop the steady stream of troops pouring in from the tunnel.

"Valkyrie 1-1 to Saber 2-1. Target is in sight, where are you?"

"_We got visual on you now. We're holding position near a Mi-8." _

"Copy that. Making our way to you."

"Be sure not to shoot us on sight." Aaron quipped.

Tabok let out a laugh as the remark caused Sergeant Zorvich to turn and look at them, he could only imagine the expression behind his cracked visor.

"Something you'd like to say to me Private?" Zorvich asked heatedly.

"Stow that shit." Joyce barked.

The unit fell silent, but Tabok continued to grin despite himself. However a large explosion nearby reminded him that he was still in an active warzone. The two opposing Nod forces had found themselves in a stalemate, the Blackhand unable to move forward, and the Elites unable to push them out. Tabok hoped that he and his unit could make some kind of difference.

The small platoon made their way to a rusted out Mi-8 helicopter, approaching slowly as they got near. Joyce held up her fist and shouted,

"Star!"

"Castle!"

Everyone relaxed ever so slightly as the three man specialist team made their way towards them. One of them, clearly the leader by the way the others followed him, carried a large laser sniper rifle. He inclined his head slightly to Joyce then spoke in a rough and grating voice.

"Enemy defences around the command post seem to be light. We saw several squads be deployed to hold the tunnel entrance. But something doesn't feel right to me; no way they'd leave the place unguarded."

"Agreed, we should proceed with caution."

The Sniper simply nodded then took his team back to the helicopter. As Tabok watched them go, Joyce spoke through her radio.

"Wolf Actual this is Valkyrie 1-1. Be advised we are advancing on Objective Delta Minor."

"_Copy that. CABAL'S reinforcements are on route to help us push through, so time is of the essence."_

"Understood, Valkyrie out."

Joyce began walking towards the command post as if she were on an evening stroll. The others followed behind her, albeit not as casually. Tabok noted several squads defending the door, along with an Attack Bike idling nearby. Before the enemy could react, a beam of red light shot out and shattered the Bike's canopy. A split second later another ray of red light shot out, instantly vaporizing a soldiers head. The enemy finally reacted and dove for cover, just as a third bolt shot out and burned a hole into the wall behind them.

Tabok and the others began to move in a bounding overwatch. The sporadic bursts along with occasional sniper shot kept the enemy firmly behind cover. He began to think that taking Hassan's base might not be so difficult, when he noticed two large vehicles heading straight towards them. They were shaped like farm tractors, with large tanks on either side filled with refined Tiberium, as well as a large weapon bolted to the top. The vehicles moved slowly as they were burdened down with the thick armour plating used by Harvesters, but despite their slow movement, Tabok knew they were a huge threat.

"Enemy vehicles spotted! Coming in on our left!" Tabok shouted over the radio.

The platoon halted their advance to turn and face the new threat.

"Fuck! Tib' Tractors, everyone keep your distance! Saber 2-1 I need some support here!"

Joyce's frantic shouts caused Tabok more fear than the enemy Tractors bearing down on him. He began to back away with the others as they fired prolonged bursts towards them. Their bullets ricocheted off the armour harmlessly and did nothing to deter them. A lance of red light flashed just above Tabok's head and impacted against the front windshield, but it too did nothing but create a black mark against the reinforced glass. The Tractors had been built to withstand the corrosive effects of Tiberium, which meant only heavy ordnance had any hope of breaking through.

"Pull back!"

Tabok turned and ran back towards the helicopter with his squad running ahead of him. Seeing the Blackhand retreat must have emboldened the Elites as bullets began to chew up the dirt around them.

"Wolf Actual I need armoured support to my position ASAP! Enemy have deployed Tiberium Tractors. Say again, I need armoured support to Objective Delta Minor!"

"_All of our tank units are engaged and unable to assist."_

"Damn it!"

The platoon managed to make it back to the helicopter, just as the Sniper fired another ruby lance towards the enemy. He hissed in annoyance as the large battery pack on his back began to smoke.

"I need another coil." He said to one of the other specialists.

The two men began working on loading a large metallic coil into the battery pack as the Sniper waited impatiently. Tabok shared the man's feelings as he watched the enemy Tractors get closer.

"Everyone take up positions, we will hold here."

They all did as they were commanded, silently moving into cover and readying their weapons. No one spoke as they knew the fate that awaited them if they got caught by the Tractor's horrifying weapon.

"You're loaded!" One of the specialists stated.

"Focus your fire on the canisters. Everyone else, ready whatever grenades you have and be ready to throw on my mark."

Tabok quickly grabbed the two fragmentation grenades off his belt and laid them down beside him, easily within reach. He watched as the Tractors neared their position, and he could see blackish-green smoke rising from the nozzles. The silence was broken by a low whining noise that grew in pitch. Tabok looked around for the source and discovered it was coming from the laser sniper rifle. Just as the whining grew to an almost painful level, it stopped just as a lance of light shot out. Tabok turned to see the laser bolt had struck the right side tank on the lead Tractor, chasing it to crack. Another laser bolt caused it to shatter completely, and moments later the Tractor spontaneously combusted into hellish green flames before exploding.

Tabok's suit's environmental warnings began screaming at him as it detected the sudden burst of deadly Tiberium gases. He tried to ignore the incessant beeping and waited for Joyce to give the command. The second Tractor simply rolled past the burning remains of its comrade and pushed right for them.

"Hold! Hold! Now! Grenades out!"

Tabok quickly primed his grenade and threw it with all his might. He watched the grenade, along with several others, arc through the air and land in front of the Tractor. They all exploded in rapid succession of each other, throwing up a large plume of dirt and smoke. Tabok held his breath as he waited for the smoke to clear, and to hopefully reveal the destroyed remains beyond. But he was thoroughly disappointed as mere moments later the Tractor emerged from the smoke seemingly unscathed.

"Again! Throw your grenades!"

Tabok reached down for his second grenade, but was suddenly tackled to the ground just as someone else screamed.

"Watch out!"

Tabok quickly pushed his assailant off, only to find out they had just saved his life. Mere feet away, where he had just been standing, was a smoking pile of Tiberium sludge quickly eating it's way through everything it touched.

"Thank you Brother, I owe you my life." Tabok said breathlessly.

"You're welcome Corporal."

Tabok's head snapped around at the recognition of the voice, and came face to face with a familiar cracked visor. Tabok recoiled away from Zorvich, nearly falling into the pile of toxic sludge in the process. He wanted to give the man shit, but stopped when gunfire erupted behind him. He quickly snapped up his rifle and turned to fire on the Tractor, but stopped when it fired another deluge of toxic sludge. This time it impacted the helicopter head on, quickly burning through the rusted exterior. The inhuman screams that overwhelmed the radio line gave away the fate of the specialist team.

"Focus fire on the side vats!"

Joyce's command sounded far more panicked than Tabok would have liked, but regardless he brought his weapon up and aimed through the sights. He fired a burst that bounced off the side armour, then took a deep breath and fired again. This time his bullets bit into the weaker material of the vat, causing it to crack. More bullets from the other soldiers managed to finish the job and caused it to shatter, spilling Tiberium all over the Tractor and onto the hard packed ground. The Tractor stopped as the corrosive Tiberium began to eat its way into the vehicle. The crew leapt out from the vehicle and quickly threw their arms up in surrender, but were almost immediately shot down by Joyce and her men.

Silence fell over the platoon as they watched the Tractors burn. Tabok made his way back to his squad and sighed with relief to see everyone was okay. There was no time to celebrate as Joyce began barking out orders, the demeanor of a leader returning. Tabok quickly took stock of his equipment then began to follow his squad back out into the field between the helicopter, or what was left of it, and the command post. The platoon made sure to give the burning wrecks a wide berth as they advanced forward once more.

While the Blackhand had been busy dealing with the Tiberium Tractors, Hassan's Elites had reinforced their defences. Now there was an entire platoon's worth of Elites guarding the command post. Elsewhere Tabok noticed Blackhand forces being pushed back, albeit slowly and they were sure to make the Elites pay for every inch with blood.

Tabok became painfully aware that the fate of the battle was hanging on the platoon's success, and without sniper support he wasn't sure they would be able to pull it off. And there would be no monstrous cyborgs to come to the rescue this time either. There would be no winning this fight without suffering loses. He just prayed he wouldn't have to lose anymore friends today.

"Forward! For the Brotherhood!"

Joyce gave a hearty war cry, which everyone responded to by shouting out,

"Peace through power!"

The platoon surged forward, firing sporadic bursts as they did. Tabok brought his weapon up and sighted an Elite soldier. He fired a burst but it missed, causing the Elite to duck, but it still gave Tabok the time he needed to cross the field and slide into cover behind a rusted shipping container. He was joined by Damien, Phong, and Aaron, and together they peeked around the container to provide cover to their allies as they proceeded to find cover elsewhere.

The Elites still held the advantage with numbers, but they clearly had not expected the Blackhand to be able to get so close. It was still no guarantee of victory though, as Tabok watched one of Joyce's men take several bullets to the head. Tabok emptied the rest of his magazine, then knelt down to reload as Aaron fired above his head. Once he slammed the magazine into the rifle, he stood back up and fired again, this time managing to kill an enemy soldier with a full burst to the chest.

"Corporal, left side! Provide cover!" Damien ordered.

"Left side copy!"

Tabok and Aaron moved to the other side of the container, where they fired tight, controlled bursts at the enemy. Damien and Phong added their fire to the fray and it seemed to catch the Elites off guard. Together they managed to kill several Elite troops before they were forced back into cover. But the tide was quickly shifting, as Tabok spotted Joyce and the rest of the platoon create a wall of bullets as they fired upon the enemy.

"Fuck! I'm hit!"

Aaron collapsed to the ground clutching his arm. Tabok quickly grabbed him and pulled him back behind the container as bullets ripped up the dirt around them. He moved Aaron's hand out of the way to check the wound, but he couldn't see much through the punctured armour and mess of blood.

"Fuck me. Medic! I need a medic!"

"No way they can get to us! How bad is it?" Damien asked.

"I don't know. It looks bad but I can't tell."

"Private Innes, can you still stand and shoot?"

"Uh. I think so Sergeant."

"Then get up and do it!"

Tabok helped Aaron to his feet and handed him his rifle. Aaron tried to lift his wounded arm but it clearly caused him great pain. Tabok took back the rifle and laid it on the ground before handing Aaron his pistol. The two then rounded the corner and returned to the fight. With Aaron's wound and the ineffective range of his pistol, Tabok would have to pick up his slack. He carefully aimed down his sights and spotted an Elite soldier toting a DMR, potentially the one who shot Aaron. He took a deep breath, then fired two bursts in rapid succession. The marksman went down in a spray of blood, and the others dove for cover.

The Elite troops were beginning to falter, and Joyce pressed her advantage and ordered them to advance. Tabok and squad broke from cover and moved with the others. The Elites put up one final defence, killing several more Blackhand soldiers before they were finally overrun. By the time the shooting had stopped and the Blackhand gathered by the command building's front door, the platoon had been reduced to little more than two and a half squads. The fields were now littered with the bodies of dead brothers, both enemy and allied alike.

"Staff Sergeant, I have a wounded man and need your Apothecary to look at him." Damien said as he moved closer to Joyce.

"The Apothecary was killed." Joyce didn't elaborate further.

Damien simply turned back to Aaron and motioned him to move closer.

"Private, find the Apothecary's kit and patch yourself up for now. Then take position here and cover our six, got it?"

"Understood Sergeant."

Aaron moved off back through the field, given the grisly task of looking through a deadman's things. Tabok watched him go before turning back to see a soldier kick down the door and the unit move into the command post.

The inside was devoid of any hostiles, and seemed almost eerily quiet. They moved quickly, but cautiously, as they cleared each and every room. The auxiliary post was small compared to typical Nod command buildings, but like most Nod infrastructure, there were several subterranean levels.

"Okay listen up. We're going to split into two teams, One and Two. Team One is with me: we will clear the sub levels. Sergeant Damien, you take Team Two and find the control room."

"Understood."

Joyce quickly divided the teams, taking seven soldiers with her and leaving five for Team Two. Much to Tabok's relief, she took Zorvich and his men and left two of her own squad to accompany Tabok and the others. With everyone organized, Joyce led Team One into the underground facility, while Damien led them through the empty hall ways, passing through offices and mechanics shops. The building was thoroughly abandoned. That was until they reached a set of stairs. Phong took one step up before suddenly leaping backwards, a split second later a cluster of grenades clattered down the stairs.

"Take cover!"

Tabok jumped into a small room just as the grenades went off. The explosions was deafening and it quickly filled the hallway with smoke. Tabok peeked back out and fired wildly into the smoke, hoping to hit something. The others began to fire blindly and the tight hallway was filled with the roar of gunfire. However one sound did manage to break through the noise: more grenades clattering down the steps. Tabok jumped back into the small room as more explosions went off, and even more smoke threatened to suffocate him.

He got down and the ground and tried to crawl underneath the smoke. The others had stopped shooting and he couldn't hear any movement from the floor above. He decided to use the smoke as cover as he slowly crawled up the steps. He stopped about halfway up and laid there, a few moments later he heard whispered voices above him before someone more clearly stated,

"Another volley, now!"

More grenades were rolled down the steps, and Tabok quickly reached out and grabbed one. He then tossed it back up the steps and was rewarded with confused shouts before the grenades went off. Tabok clutched his head and pressed himself as tightly to the ground as he could, as he was assaulted from both above and below by the explosions. He got to his feet and noticed his armour was scarred and dented and covered with soot and grime. It was going to take him hours to clean it all off, but it did its job and kept him safe.

He moved to the top of the stairs and found four Elite soldiers dead in the hallway. He then turned and called for the others, watching as they emerged from the fading cloud of smoke. They proceeded down the hall and found themselves at the control room, with the door sealed tight.

One of Joyce's men went to work trying to open the security door while the others stood around. Tabok checked his gear and made sure his weapon was still in working condition, all the while Damien traded a few sparse words with Joyce over the radio. After several minutes, the Blackhand soldier indicated he had the door unlocked, and they all snapped their weapons to the ready. Damien threw the door open and they all rushed in, only to find three very scared looking technicians with their hands in the air.

"Don't fucking move!"

Damien growled as he pointed his rifle at a man wearing a head technician's insignia. The two Blackhand soldiers set to work on the computer terminals while Tabok and Phong began herding the technicians towards a corner.

"Sister Joyce come in? We have secured the control room, say again, the control room is ours. How copy?"

"_Loud and clear Sergeant Damien. We're on our way back up. I'll relay the news to Commander Slavik." _

"We also have prisoners. What should we do with them?"

"_Kill them."_

"No wait! Please we wish to serve the true followers of Kane! Spare our lives so that we may try to find redemption." The Technician pleaded desperately.

"The only redemption for you is through death."

"Please! We can transfer control of the automated defences to your control. The tunnel is guarded by six laser turrets, we can turn them on the Elite Guard."

The Technician looked back and forth from Damien to Tabok. Damien went still for a moment, a clear give away that he was thinking deeply. Tabok personally felt they should just shoot the cowards as the Brotherhood did not forgive traitors so easily.

_Are they really traitors? Remember you once served under them before you joined the Blackhand. _

Tabok cursed his conscience as he wanted to hate the men before him. But he found it hard to do as he could only see three frightened men who were just following orders.

"Private Sebastien, is he telling the truth?" Damien suddenly asked.

"Yes Sergeant. There are six turrets set into the tunnel ceiling. There's also another tank unit along with several APCs moving down now. If we don't stop them they could overrun our brothers."

"Go, do it then. But I'm watching you."

The Technician quickly mumbled out a thanks before he went to work on the console. Tabok kept his weapon pointed at the other two while watching the man work. He typed furiously on the keyboard before stepping back with a sly smile to his face.

"Done, the turrets will now recognize your IFF codes as friendly, and the Elites as hostile."

"Nice job. Now back in the corner."

The Technician stepped back over to his compatriots, seeming more relaxed knowing they would get to live. For now. Tabok lowered his weapon and walked over to Damien who was busy watching the tunnel through several monitors. The enemy convoy had nearly reached the lower exit when six tail-like turrets descended from the ceiling. The tunnel began to flash with red light as the turrets burned through the armoured vehicles. Tanks exploded violently as the lasers burned into their ammo holds, causing a chain reaction that tore apart the Reckoners behind them. It took only a few moments for the tunnel to become filled with burning wrecks, the turrets quickly picking off anyone who survived and tried to run back to the surface.

"Can they override control from the main command center?" Damien directed his question to the Technician.

"No, all tunnel controls are through this post."

"Sebastien?"

"Hard to tell for sure. But it looks like the base is divided between the upper and lower sections. Probably to prevent someone from gaining full control just from the auxiliary post."

"Good enough for me. Staff Sergeant, the tunnel is secured. Tell the Commander we can push forward."

… … …

Rows of Tick tanks waited at the tunnel entrance, ready for the Blackhand to exit through. The front row was deployed in its defensive position, while another row waited behind. Attack Bikes and Buggies waited for order to attack while several Tiberium Tractors sat in reserve, in case they needed to clean out any stubborn resistance. Hassan's Elite Guard was ready, or so they thought, as hundreds of cyborgs marched out from the tunnels. The Ticks opened fire without pause, and infantry in hastily made dugouts and barricades ripped into the machines. But the cyborgs pushed on regardless, like a tide of flesh and metal and death. Tanks were destroyed by shoulder mounted rocket launchers, while infantry were ripped apart by arm mounted machine guns. The cyborgs were ruthless and efficient, and soon the Elites lines began to crumble.

The remainder of the Blackhand forces then followed, led by their own Ticks and a handful of Scorpion tanks. Fast moving Buggies swept into the upper base while Reckoners deployed their occupants, who proceeded to quickly overwhelm the few remaining defenders. Rocket Buggies were the last to arrive, and immediately began firing volleys of missiles towards Hassan's palace.

Slavik watched the battle unfold from the confines of the Montauk, relaying orders to his subordinates who then carried them out on the battlefield. He was so close now: the anticipation threatened to break through his cold exterior. Years of planning were now coming together. _H__is_vision was almost at hand.

"Sir, the first teams have reported they have entered the palace." Oxana reported.

"Excellent. Soon we shall bring that coward to the light."

The Elite Guard had all but been destroyed, and now his forces were collapsing on the palace. Slavik was just about to order the Montauk to move to the palace so he could be there to apprehend Hassan, but CABAL cut him off.

"Warning! Enemy aircraft detected leaving a hidden hangar."

"What?"

Slavik felt burning anger course through him as he watched the slim attack craft take off from a hangar hidden in the cliffs. It was making its way over the city and out of his grasp.

"Stop it, now!"

Slavik could feel his victory slipping away. He would not be denied this, not after everything he had done to get here. He was about to bark more orders when a rocket streaked up from the rooftops and slammed into the Harpy's tail, causing it to spin out of control before crashing into the city below.

"Get us over there now! And I want to know who shot him down."

"It was an Elite Guard unit sir. They say they wish to join us." Oxana replied with a hint of disbelief.

"Do they now? Get us there before they do. Even if they are true to their word, I don't want to risk them reaching Hassan first."

"Understood."

The Montauk lurched forward as it began to make its way towards Cairo. Slavik relaxed back into his throne, a savage smile appearing on his face. Hassan's own men had turned against him, his own arrogance becoming his greatest downfall.

The Reunification War was finally over.

… … …

**Alexandria, Egypt**

**Blackhand temple**

**August 31****st**** 2030**

**1900**

The main amphitheater of the temple was filled to capacity. Nod soldiers stood shoulder to shoulder as they eagerly awaited the execution of General Hassan. Tabok stood next to Aaron who watched on with excitement. Tabok himself felt the raw emotions of the room flood through him, as he watched Anton Slavik stand at the podium like some great king.

"Brotherhood!" Slavik's voice boomed out over the room. "We are whole again!"

The crowd erupted into thunderous cheering, which grew even louder as Hassan was dragged out to the stage. Slavik pressed a sharpened blade to his throat before turning back to address the crowd.

"The sickness, has been cut out!

In the name of Kane!"

"Kane lives in death!"

The crowd chanted in unison, their voices shaking the walls of the temple.

"In the name of Kane!"

"Kane lives in death!"

"KANE LIVES!"

The crowd was deathly silent for a second, although that second seemed to stretch on for eternity. For on the screen behind Slavik and Hassan, was the Messiah himself: Kane. The silence ended in a cacophony of religious fervor. The very temple shook with the cries and shouts of a thousand people as they witness their holy leader return. Tabok couldn't believe his eyes, Kane was alive! Tears ran down his face as he cheered louder than he thought possible.

Kane smiled at his people before turning to stare down at Hassan.

"Rule of thumb, Hassan. You can't kill the Messiah."

Slavik slit Hassan's throat, spraying the stage with the traitor's blood as his body collapsed to the floor. The crowd continued to cheer in near ecstasy, before being almost immediately silenced by a simple gesture from Kane.

"Arise, my people. I have returned. Never to leave your side again. GDI sought to destroy me, but they have only made me stronger. Today, we march forward into our future. A stronger people. A divine people. Enhanced for the Tiberium world. The time has come to claim this world as our own! The time has come to destroy GDI! One vision, one purpose!"

"The technology of peace!"

"Peace through power!"

"PEACE THROUGH POWER!"

Kane smiled as the people chanted, led by Anton Slavik. Across the world, millions upon millions of the Brotherhood's faithful watched the video with tears of joy and cries of faith. In a single moment the world had been changed forever.

Kane had returned.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

_The soldier above all others prays for peace, for it is the soldier who must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war._

_Douglas MacArthur_

**GDSS Philadelphia**

**September 2nd, 2030**

**0900**

James Solomon once again found himself in the small InOps room, only this time the smug expression on Volkov's face was replaced with one of genuine fear. On the screen in front of them, a video was being played on loop, one that had been seen by billions of people across the dying globe. It was the video of Hassan's execution, and the supposed return of Kane.

"The video is clearly doctored. I've had EVA run over it a dozen times." Volkov stated with fake confidence.

"Then have her run through it a hundred times. I want clear proof that it's fake."

"General, with all due respect-"

"Fake or not Major, that video has just unified the entire Brotherhood of Nod under Anton Slavik's control. If we can prove that it is fake, and Kane is still very much dead, then we _might_ be able to break his credibility."

"I'll get working on it right away sir."

"Good."

Solomon walked away, leaving the InOps officer to try and save his career. Solomon let out a long breath as he made his way to the station's main control room, where GDI kept a vigilant eye across the Earth. It was a hive of activity, as GDI was now on full alert following the broadcast. Entire army groups had been deployed to border zones, and news was already flooding in of riots in countless cities, both from Nod fanatics and panicked GDI citizens. It was a complete firestorm of chaos, but Solomon knew this was just the calm before the storm.

"Where is Director-General Avasarala?" Solomon demanded over the commotion.

"Sir, she is currently in Reykjavik with the rest of the Board." An officer replied.

"Good. Tell them to stay there; I want security doubled. No telling what those Nod bastards will do."

"Yes sir."

"And someone call for an emergency meeting for all GDI generals. We need to get ready in case-"

"Sir!"

Solomon searched the room for the sudden outburst, but stopped when his gaze fell on a large display depicting the Earth. Normally it was covered with blue dots, indicating GDI military installations, but now it was awash with red.

"What the hell?" Solomon asked dumbfounded.

"Multiple reports coming in across the board General. They all confirm the same thing: Nod is attacking."

Silence fell over the room as the gravity of the situation hit them. The Brotherhood of Nod, after thirty years of being considered a minor nuisance, had just launch a world-wide campaign.

"Alert status one! We are at war people!"

The officers leapt into action, changing orders from preparing for war, to full scale mobilization. Solomon stood and watched the display as Nod forces attacked from every continent. They had all feared the day would come, had prepared for it even. But with Tiberium consuming more and more of the planet each day, GDI had been forced to divert their resources and their attention.

"General Solomon! I have an emergency transmission!"

"They're all emergency transmissions." Solomon replied heatedly.

"It's from Phoenix Base sir. They are under attack by Nod forces."

Solomon immediately moved over to the officer's station, leaning over his shoulder while he played the video transmission. At first, all he saw was static, but eventually an image began to appear. It was a man in the uniform of a GDI officer, whom Solomon recognized as Commander Peter Tao.

"…_under attack by Nod troops! My forces have been…tely wiped out! I need back up!"_

"Damn it! Find me whoever is closest to assist. We cannot lose that base."

"Yes sir."

The officer began to type on his console, but stopped when his screen became filled with static.

"What's going?" Solomon asked.

"We have an unauthorized transmission coming in."

Solomon leaned in closer to see, just as an image began to appear from the static.

"_You come for the sunshine but stay for the people."_

Solomon felt his heart sink and his body go cold. That voice, that damned voice, had haunted his memories for decades. He didn't want to believe it was true, but the evidence was damning.

"That's not possible…put it up on the main screen."

The officer pressed a button and instantly the face of Kane was displayed, malicious smile and all.

"_If I'm cut, do I not bleed? It would be a sad error in judgement, General Solomon, to mistake me for a corpse."_ Kane said with a theatrical flourish.

"My judgement is sound, Kane. And I'm not afraid of ghosts or you."

"_Perhaps you should be. I've seen the future. Our Tiberium future. And as you watch this battle, just beginning to unfold, I've already seen the final act! It is my destiny to lead the way for all mankind."_

"Mankind has forgotten you, Kane!"

Kane simply laughed derisively before ending the transmission. Solomon clenched his fists in anger: his worst nightmare had just come to life.

The room was silent as they waited for him to say or do something. They were all scared, as they should be.

"Who do we have to respond to Phoenix Base?" Solomon asked through a haggard breath.

"The 22nd sir, they're currently stationed at the Southwest Training Center."

"Then get me McNeil."

… … …

**GDI Southwest Training Center**

**September 2nd, 2030**

**1125**

The sun glared down from a cloudless sky, baking the hot desert rocks. It caused his suit's environmental controls to strain itself as it tried to compensate for the extreme heat. He tried to ignore it as he navigated his way through the rocky terrain, hunting down his prey.

He brought up his standard issued M16 rifle and aimed down the weapon's scope. His prey was making their way through a deep crevice. There were four of them, all GDI soldiers who likewise were trying to hunt him down. He just smiled as he watched the squad move towards a perfect kill zone. It may have been several years since Michael McNeil had been a grunt, but that didn't mean he had forgotten how to be one.

Just as the first soldier was about to step out from the crevice walls, someone suddenly attacked him from behind. They quickly batted his rifle away then tried to throw him to the ground. But McNeil was able to overpower his attacker, flinging his assailant over his shoulder and onto the hard rock. Pulling out his sidearm, he leveled it at the prone figure, only to see a familiar face smiling up at him.

"Chandra, you son of a bitch." McNeil couldn't help his own smile from spreading across his face.

Lieutenant Chandra just laughed as McNeil helped him back to his feet. He quickly brushed himself off then stood up straighter.

"Solomon needs you. The Kodiak is waiting."

"Is it urgent?"

"I don't know, but I think its best we hurry."

McNeil nodded, then pulled a flair gun from his belt. He fired a blue flair into the sky, indicating the training was over. A few minutes later, the four GDI soldiers appeared and gave a sharp salute, to which McNeil returned.

"Come on boys, play time is over. We got work to do."

McNeil led Chandra and the others back down the cliffs towards the GDI base. However instead of heading towards the base's large gate, he instead angled the group to a large clearing just outside the walls. There, a massive Orca Command Vehicle sat. There were only seven built, due to the high cost, and McNeil had been granted the privilege of commanding the Kodiak. The best out of the seven, in his humble opinion.

"EVA, alert the base commander that we're leaving. And rally up the 22nd, tell 'em if they want to fuck the dog they should have joined the Marines."

"I'll get right on that, Commander McNeil." The faintly feminine voice replied.

They quickly ascended the gangway leading up into the Kodiak. The four soldiers broke off and went deeper into the ship, while McNeil and Chandra made their way to the bridge. Once there, McNeil shot a quick smile to the Kodiak's pilot, Lieutenant Brink. He then sat down in the main command chair, where he waited for the video call to the _Philadelphia _to connect. Moments later, the aging figure of General Solomon appeared.

"_Good to see you again Mack, though I wish it was under better circumstances."_ Solomon greeted.

"It's quite the light show alright." McNeil replied as he gazed up at the tactical display currently displaying all the regions currently under attack.

"_It's more than that. It's Kane."_

"Sir?"

"_He's back."_

The bridge fell silent as everyone let the news sink in. McNeil knew to trust Solomon's word, so if he said Kane was back, then Kane was… alive. He couldn't believe it. Kane had been dead for thirty years, vaporized in an Ion Cannon strike. No human could survive something like that. But the evidence was pretty clear. McNeil swallowed his fear and looked back up to the General.

"_We lost contact with Phoenix Base at 0900. I want that base taken back."_

"Understood General."

Solomon nodded his head approvingly then ended the call. The bridge was silent as Chandra and Brink began bringing the Kodiak's systems online. McNeil simply sat in his chair and let the gravity of the situation settle in. War with Nod; he had been hoping this day would come, eager to get revenge on the Brotherhood. But not even in his wildest dreams did he ever think Kane would return.

"The game's afoot." Chandra said as he turned to face McNeil.

"Let's kick some ass." McNeil replied with bravado.

The Kodiak lifted off from the ground and quickly climbed into the air. Orca Transports soon followed behind, carrying the rest of the GDI 22nd Airborne. The small aerial fleet raced across the blasted landscape, but to McNeil it felt like they were moving far too slowly. He only hoped they could get there in time.

… … …

**Phoenix Base, Arizona, U.S.A**

**September 2nd, 2030**

**1340**

The deployment bay of the Orca Transport was mostly empty, given the rather abrupt orders to deploy. Where normally it would be filled to capacity with GDI soldiers, equipment, and light vehicles, it now only housed three squads of troopers. Their objective was to land in a potentially hostile base, and secure a landing zone for more troops to land. It was an extremely dangerous and potentially lethal task, but for John Lancaster and his platoon, it was just another day in the office.

John looked over at the other two squads and noticed them talking amongst themselves. Most of the men and women here were much older than he was, but there were a few other fresh faces. Most notably was his fellow greenhorn, Achille Prevost. They had both joined the GDI Army a year ago when they had turned 18. Prevost had joined with plans to use the military's incentives to eventually go to college. John however had joined out of family tradition, much to his father's insistence. The two had become fast friends, but a divide had slowly formed when John found himself under the wing of their squad leader. With plans to eventually join the Officer Corps, Sergeant Valdrin Xhaferi had seen it prudent to try and prepare John for when he made the switch.

"Hey, did you hear the rumors? Kane is apparently alive." Prevost whispered to John.

"Where the hell did you hear that garbage? Don't believe everything you hear." John retorted.

"It came from a reliable source! Some officer was saying it just before we got herded onto the transports."

"What are you yapping about boy?"

The question came from the other member of John's squad, Corporal West. The man wasn't much older than John, but he liked to pretend he was some grizzled veteran.

"Nothing Corporal. Achille was just saying how excited he was to clean the exhaust fans on the Kodiak later." John said as diplomatically as he could.

"Bullshit! Hey West, did you hear the rumors about Kane?"

John inwardly sighed at Prevost's lack of subtlety

"Keep your retarded rumors to yourself kid. I don't need that bullshit spreading around the unit."

"Right. Sorry."

West just grunted before he began checking over his pulse rifle. John shot Prevost a sympathetic look before turning to his own rifle to make sure it was in working order. John felt a bit nervous: this wasn't the first time he had fought against Nod, but the fact that it was now a full blown war somehow made it seem worse. He took deep breaths to calm his nerves and tried to remember the advice his father had given him for going into battle.

"_T-minus sixty seconds! Get ready to drop people!"_

The pilot's shout sent a shock of adrenaline through John's body. He quickly secured his helmet and waited for the hiss that indicated it had sealed with the armour. A series of displays popped up on his HUD, indicating all the systems were green and good to go. Just as he finished getting ready, Sergeant Xhaferi stood up, along with the other two squad leaders.

"Alright listen up boys and girls. We are dropping right on top of Phoenix Base. Intel is sketchy at best, so expect the worst. You see anything that looks like Nod you kill it. Any questions? No? Good, lock and load people!"

John stood up and secured his rifle to his back. He then got in line behind Prevost and West as the others moved towards the rear door. The door then slowly opened, letting cool air rush into the compartment as the transport still raced through the sky.

"On my mark jump. One! Two! Three! Jump now! Go go go!"

The GDI soldiers began jumping from the transport one by one. When it was John's turn he jumped without hesitation and began to plummet through the sky to the earth below. He followed the others towards their goal, the small base just below them. Even from this altitude, he could see muzzle flashes and small explosions going off as Nod continued their attack on the base. But it was almost over shadowed by the baleful glow of a nearby Tiberium field.

As they rapidly approached the ground, John could more easily see what was happening down below. He could see GDI troopers racing back to the base, getting gunned down by Nod forces as they did. It was nothing short of a slaughter as the Nod forces advanced on the base, its outer defences completely destroyed. From his position, it seemed like Nod was on the verge of taking the base.

"_Deploy chutes!"_

Almost in unison the GDI soldiers deployed their parachutes, rapidly slowing down their fall. John pulled on his ripcord, his entire body jerking as a result of the parachute prop blast. He quickly recovered from the shock and angled his decent closer to the base's outer wall, where the last remnants of the defenders were desperately holding out. Thankfully the Nod forces hadn't seemed to have noticed them para-dropping in, so it gave them the advantage.

"_When we hit the ground, find cover and start shooting!" _Sergeant Xhaferi ordered.

The Nod forces finally took note of the GDI paratroopers, just as they began hitting the ground. John nearly landed on top of the jagged remains of a destroyed Harvester, but managed to land just behind it, which in turn offered him cover as bullets began pinging off the metal hull. He quickly disposed of his parachute and brought his rifle to his shoulders. But before he could do anything, he spotted Prevost and Xhaferi running over to him.

"Have you seen West?" Sergeant Xhaferi asked.

"Negative." John replied.

"Okay, pick your targets and take 'em down."

Xhafari punctuated his order by bringing up his M110A1 DMR and began firing. John and Prevost both fired tight, coordinated bursts towards the advancing Nod line. The Nod forces were clearly caught off guard by the sudden appearance of reinforcements and started taking heavy losses. John spotted a heavy weapons team caught in the open struggling to retreat back to cover. He quickly fired two bursts that killed all three members of the team, and sent their equipment sprawling across the ground. John then ducked back to reload, but nearly jumped out of his skin when a GDI soldier suddenly threw himself into cover with the squad. At first he thought it was West, but quickly realized it was one of the base troopers based off his burnt and dented armour.

"Who's in charge here?" The Soldier demanded.

"I am trooper. Sergeant Xhaferi, 2nd Squad, 1st Platoon of the 22nd Airborne."

"Listen buddy, I don't care if you're Jesus fucking Christ. I'm just thankful you showed up!"

"What's the situation?"

"FUBAR! Base is totally overrun, and as far as I know, my squad and I are all that's left."

"Alright, stick with us and we'll get this sorted out."

The Soldier just nodded his head then joined the others as they continued to fight off the Nod attackers. When John peeked around to fire another burst, he noticed the enemy forces had recovered from their initial shock and were now renewing their attack. He fired a burst that managed to clip one soldier in the leg, sending him crashing to the ground. He targeted another soldier, but held his fire when the man's chest exploded from a shot from Xhaferi's DMR. Instead he just picked another target and fired.

Clearly seeing that they were losing the battle, the Nod forces began to turn and run, with only a few staying back to offer covering fire. After a few more minutes, the order to ceasefire was issued and an eerie quiet settled over the battlefield. John finally had a moment to breathe and get a lay of the land. He first noted the number of dead Nod soldiers, and the twice as many dead GDI soldiers. He then noticed the Nod forces retreating to a small town built across from the base, next to a small bridge.

"_All units, meet up by the gate! Double-time!"_

"You heard the boss man, let's go."

John followed Xhaferi and the others towards the base's gate. It was scarred and beaten, and looked as though it was ready to tip over with a sudden gust of wind. The GDI paratroopers, along with what was left of the base defenders began to crowd around Captain Mitch, the leader of 1st Platoon.

"Okay the base is secured, for now. But we all know Nod is going to show back up sooner or later. Goal one is to fortify our position here until Commander McNeil can swoop in. We have two more transports inbound so look sharp people. What're you all looking at? Get to work!"

John and Prevost began fixing up a ruined sandbag barricade, while Xhaferi began organizing the base troopers into one of the three squads. John worked up a good sweat as he worked as fast as he could. The last thing he wanted was to be shot by a Nod soldier while he was busy shoveling sand.

"Heads up! Reinforcements coming in!"

John stopped to look up and see the two Orca transports coming towards them. They began to slowly descend towards the base, intent on landing rather than just dumping its occupants out the back. The transports were just passing over the town when the sky began to light up with tracer rounds. The rounds easily tore through the underside of one of the transports, causing it to explode and plummet to the earth below. The second transport immediately banked hard to one side then began to climb back up into the air, out of the range of the Nod AA. John and the others were left dumbfounded as they stared at the burning wreckage of the transport.

"_Eagle 2 is down! Enemy Tunguskas inside the town! LZ is too hot, repeat, too hot! We need those AA guns taken out."_

"_Copy that Eagle 1. Break off and hold, we'll deal with that AA. 1st Platoon on me, let's go!"_

John ditched his shovel and grabbed his rifle, then hastily scrambled to join up with Xhaferi and the others. Their squad had picked up two new members, both from the base defenders. They looked tired and beaten, but still eager to fight. The GDI forces began racing towards the town and the downed transport. But John could already see Nod forces swarming the crash site. He snapped up his rifle and fired a few sporadic bursts as he ran, his bullets missing entirely. Xhafari motioned for them to head towards a piece of the transport, what looked to be part of one of the engine blocks. John quickly ran over and took cover, reloading his weapon just as Prevost joined him. Together they both fired on the Nod forces that had reached the main fuselage. They easily cut the enemy troops down as they attempted to force their way inside. The others joined them and focused their fire on the enemy forces taking refuge inside the town.

"_3__rd__ Squad, break and search for survivors. We'll cover you!" _Captain Mitch ordered.

John watched the other squad dart towards an opening in the fuselage, before losing them as they entered inside. John turned back and kept shooting at the enemy, but it felt like there was no end to the number of troops being thrown at them. He stopped to reload yet again, when he heard a new sound rapidly approaching. He peered around cover and felt himself grow pale at what he saw: two Nod Tunguska SPAAGs.

The old vehicles had been heavily modified by the Brotherhood, equipped with the latest armour and radar technology. It made the old machines into effective tools of modern warfare, and it also made them a huge threat. Both SPAAGs began firing at the fuselage of the downed transport, easily ripping into it like wet paper. All John could do was watch in horror as the men inside were no doubt torn apart.

"_I need anti-tank weapons up here now!"_

"Sergeant Xhaferi, give me some cover!"

John turned to see one of the base troopers pull a grenade launcher off his back. He proceeded to load the drum with six grenade 'disks' which were capable of magnetically attaching to any metallic surface. He gave a curt nod to Xhaferi before stepping out into the open. The squad followed suit, and stepped to offer him cover. John and the others fired on a squad of Nod troops following behind one of the Tunguskas, while the grenadier fired off three disks. John watched as the disks fell far too short of the vehicle, then bounced back up before attaching themselves to the side of the vehicle. John fired one final burst before jumping back into cover, just as the grenades exploded in a loud boom. John looked back to see the Tunguska burning and Nod forces scrambling away from the wreck.

The second Tunguska then turned its sights on the engine block John and the others were using for cover. Xhaferi noticed this as well as he ordered everyone to run. Mere moments later AP tracer rounds tore through the engine block, causing it to explode and shower the squad with burning debris. A particularly large piece of metal struck John in the back, sending him crashing into the ground. He turned onto his back, only to see three Nod soldiers running towards him. They suddenly stopped and began firing at someone above John's head, he tried to look up and see who it was but could only see the muzzle flashes. Eventually someone kneeled down next to him and began checking over his suit for damage.

"You're fine! Back on your feet Private!" West shouted.

John just grunted and got into a crouching position, quickly retrieving his rifle and firing on the enemy soldiers. The three enemy troops beat a hasty retreat, but not before Xhaferi blew off one of their arms, spraying the ground with blood. However the Tunguska was still hunting for them and soon came into view, its quad barreled cannon pointed directly at them. The grenadier then fired off the last three disks and they all watched with baited breath as the disks bounced their way towards the vehicle. They managed to latch into the front plating, then detonated seconds later, temporarily blinding John. When his vision cleared, he spotted the Tunguska reversing towards the town, its cannon bent and twisted. He let out a sigh of relief, just as Xhaferi spoke over the radio.

"Captain, both AA guns have been neutralized."

"_Copy that Sergeant. Everyone back to the base!"_

The GDI forces were the ones to retreat this time, and John noted the number of friends not following with them. The Nod forces didn't seem interested in pursing and instead watched them run back to the base's walls. By the time they got back to the gate, Captain Mitch was already back on the radio.

"_Eagle 1 come in? Eagle 1 the LZ is clear. We need those reinforcements ASAP!"_

"_Copy that. On approach now."_

The Orca Transport once more began descending towards the base, although this time it was not followed by tracer rounds. It set down just inside the base, out of view of John and the others. John felt more relaxed when the transport touched down, but he knew the enemy was still preparing for a counter attack. He and Prevost once again went to work repairing the defences, now joined by West and the grenadier from earlier.

It was nearly twenty minutes later when the gate began to lower, creating a loud and annoying screeching sound as it did. When the gate finally lowered, two GDI Wolverine anti-infantry walkers stepped out, followed by several squads of soldiers. West gave a loud cat call over the radio as the Wolverines took position outside of the base. The squat, box shaped machines were armed with two heavy machine guns that could easily cut through any light armour. They were definitely a welcomed sight for GDI troops, but an utter nightmare for any Nod soldiers unfortunate enough to be caught by one.

"_1st Platoon, this is Colonel Warren. New orders from the Commander: we are to move in and secure the town. Wolverines will take point."_

John looked over at Prevost, seeing the shocked look through his visor. Colonel Warren was the famous leader of _Warren's Wolverines_, a special unit within the 22nd known for their ruthless efficiency. John once again looked over the two walkers, this time noticing that one of them had the diving eagle sigil of GDI replaced with a rapid looking animal, no doubt the machines' namesake.

The GDI force once again set off for the town, only this time they had the numerical advantage. John and his squad followed closely behind Colonel Warren's personal walker. They passed by the downed transport and the still burning Tunguska as they made their way into the town. Before they could even take one step onto the main road, bullets began impacting all around them as Nod forces had entrenched themselves inside the buildings. The GDI foot troops took cover where they could find it, in alleys or behind cars. But the Wolverines merely stood still as the bullets bounced harmlessly off their armour. The two walkers then sprang into action, unleashing a torrent of high calibre rounds at dizzying speed. They raked their arm mounted guns across the enemy occupied buildings, easily breaking apart walls and windows and the enemy forces hidden behind.

With the Wolverines taking care of the enemy forces inside the buildings, it allowed the foot soldiers to advance further down the street. Captain Mitch led them towards the center of the town, where the large underground Tiberium shelter was located. It was one out of millions built across the world, designed to help keep people safe during Ion storms. However in this case, it was being used to keep the citizens safe from Nod soldiers.

The doors were sealed off and it seemed to have the Nod forces stumped on how to get in. There were supplies scattered around the large square, having been offloaded from the three Reckoner APCs that were parked alongside the bunker. The damaged Tunguska was also parked nearby, with the vehicle crew swarming over it trying to get it repaired.

The GDI forces quickly took up positions at the entrance to the square, just outside of the range of the Nod forces. John counted at least thirty Nod soldiers, plus the various vehicle crews. Compared to the GDI force it was almost equal, but then again, GDI did have walking death machines.

"Bobcat 1-1, be advised we have thirty plus foot mobiles. All centered around the town's Tib' shelter. Suggest you attack from Dusk Street, how copy?"

"_I hear you loud and clear Alpha Actual. Coming in from right side, Dusk Street. Be advised guns are hot. Over."_

John looked across the square towards the street where the Wolverines were set to attack from. It took several moments before he heard the loud thumping of their footsteps coming towards them. The Nod troops clearly heard it as well as they rushed to secure that side of the square. However no amount of cover would be enough to protect them from the Wolverine's deadly weapons. The two walkers slowly lumbered into view, and John took some grim satisfaction seeing the Nod troops instantly falter at the sight. The enemy forces fired on the walkers with everything they had, but it all just bounced harmlessly off the thick armour.

The walkers then opened up with their heavy guns, and the square was filled with the deafening roar of gunfire and the screams of dying men. It was a gruesome sight, seeing those soldiers be cut down without being able to fight back, but this was war, and John had already learnt that war was far from glorious and honourable.

Several Nod soldiers had managed to break free from the slaughter and had retreated back to the safety of the Reckoners. The Wolverines then diverted their fire towards the damaged Tunguska, killing the crew and chewing apart the tank. Captain Mitch's voice then boomed over the radio, quickly snapping John to attention.

"Forward advance!"

The GDI forces surged forward into the square. The few remaining Nod forces were caught completely off guard by the infantry and barely had time to raise their weapons before they were shot down. The symphony of battle quickly turned to silence, and the GDI forces moved to take up positions where the Nod troops had just been.

John stood next to Prevost and West as they all took a moment to check over their gear and try to catch their breath. He noticed Xhaferi and Captain Mitch walking over to the bunker and decided to join them.

"Hello? Is anyone in there? This is Captain Mitch of the GDI 22nd Airborne. You are safe now." The Captain shouted as he banged on the bunker door.

They received no response from anyone inside, and the Captain merely shrugged his shoulders before turning on his radio.

"Command, this is Alpha Actual. I have civilians inside the Tib' bunker, please advise."

"_Don't worry about the civvies right now. We have eyes on a large Nod armour column approaching over the bridge. Orders are to hold position until the Kodiak arrives. Over."_

"Shit. Copy that Command. Alpha out."

The Captain walked briskly back out into the square, with John and Xhaferi jogging to keep up. He called for everyone's attention and waited for the GDI soldiers to form a rough circle around him.

"Looks like Nod isn't ready to quit, which mean we aren't either. Command has confirmed an enemy armour column heading right for us. Good news is the Kodiak is inbound. Bade news, we gotta wait. We'll hole up in the buildings and wait for the cavalry, and try to delay the enemy as best as possible. Get to it troopers."

"2nd Squad on me!"

Xhaferi motioned for everyone to follow him then set off towards one of the buildings on the other side of the town. The four man squad jogged down the deserted streets, joined by other squads as they made their way towards separate buildings. John felt the exertion from the battle creeping up on him, but he pushed through it and kept going.

They eventually reached a small two story hab unit located off of the road that connected to the bridge. John could see exhaust fumes spewing into the air from the various Nod vehicles in the distance. They quickly made their way inside to find a house abandoned in the middle of dinner. The T.V was still on and food sat half eaten on the table. John felt sorry for all the people who had been forced out of their homes.

"Prevost, cover the bottom floor. West, Lancaster, upstairs. I'll take the roof."

"Come on Lanny."

John grumbled at the tired insult and followed West up the stairs. They set up in a small bedroom and took up positions by the window that had a clear view of the bridge. The enemy convoy was getting closer and he could start to make out the shapes of the lead vehicles. Four Nod Attack Buggies led the convoy, along with an entire company of infantry following along the sides. It was a force easily large enough to take over the base twice over.

"_Alpha Actual, this is Delta 2-4. We are in position and ready to fire on your go."_

John quickly scanned the field just before the bridge. After a few moments of straining his eyes he eventually spotted a squad of grenadiers hiding in the bushes near the bridge, grenade launchers at the ready.

"_Affirmative Delta 2-4. Hold."_

John tightened the grip on his rifle and readied himself for another firefight.

"_Hold."_

The enemy was getting closer, and now he could see more of the convoy; Tick tanks, Reckoners, more Buggies and Attack Bikes, as well as several supply trucks.

"_Hold."_

For a brief moment John wondered if he had done the right thing, trying to keep the family legacy going by enlisting. Maybe he should have joined his younger brother and moved to Toronto to become an engineer instead.

"_Now! Open fire!"_

The grenadiers fired in unison, launching a volley of magnetic disks and fragmentation grenades. The explosions sent bits of machine and human flying into the air, before plummeting into the dark waters below. A thick cloud of smoke and dust was kicked up by the volley, obscuring the bridge from sight.

"_All units open fire!"_

John held down on the trigger and fired into the smoke, raking his rifle back and forth. West fired more precise but random bursts through the dissipating cloud in an attempt to save ammo. John cursed himself as he reloaded, then followed in West's lead and fired more conservatively.

Eventually the dust and smoke cleared, revealing the carnage wrought by the grenadiers. However it did little to stop the Nod forces, as more infantry rushed up to fill the gap, while Ticks simply pushed the burning wrecks out of their way. John and West kept firing, now joined by Xhaferi's DMR. The GDI forces killed scored of Nod troops as they desperately tried to cross the bridge, but it seemed pointless as they kept coming in waves.

The grenadiers rose up to fire another volley, but were almost instantaneously cut down. Without their anti-vehicle support, the Ticks managed to get close enough to fire. The first few shells fell short, but eventually they began blowing holes through the buildings GDI was using for cover. One such Tick aimed its barrel right at the room John and West were currently occupying.

"Fuck! Corporal, we need to go!"

West didn't reply as he simply shoved John towards the door. They both leaped down the stairs just as the tank shell exploded behind them, propelling them into the bottom floor wall and sending a cascade of debris raining down on them.

"Fuck me! Sergeant are you all right? Val you good?" West yelled through the radio.

"_Yeah I'm good Tom! Just keep shooting!"_

West moved towards the kitchen where Prevost was still shooting. They took up positions beside him and fired at the Nod troops now rushing into the field and closing the gap between the town and the bridge. The ground in front of the Nod infantry suddenly exploded as hundreds of bullets began chewing up the earth. John couldn't see what was happening, but he could tell from the familiar sound that the Wolverines had entered the fray. The Nod infantry turned tail and ran back to the bridge, and back to the safety of the approaching tanks.

"_Command, where the hell are you? The enemy is right on top of us!"_

"_Hang in there Captain. The rescue party is coming in hot!"_

John immediately recognized the voice as Commander McNeil, which meant the Kodiak wasn't far off. He tried to peek his head out to get a better view and managed to see the OCV Kodiak descend from the sky and hover just above the bridge. It deployed three of its underside missile pods, and unleashed a flurry of missiles. The explosions were powerful enough that John could feel the ground shake, and watched in slack jawed awe as the bridge simply collapsed, sending the entire Nod convoy spiraling to a painful death below.

The Kodiak continued to hover where the bridge once stood for several minutes, before finally turning towards the base.

"_All GDI units return to Phoenix Base. Job well done people." _McNeil said with natural bravado.

John just sighed with relief as he lowered his weapon. The battle was over, and they had won.

_One battle doesn't win a war, son. Only perseverance, strength, and willpower can._

John tried to push his father's draconian voice from his mind. The last thing he wanted right now was to spoil their victory with memories of Mark Lancaster.

"Come on Lanny, best not to keep the Commander waiting."

Of course, somethings were easier said than done.

… … …

McNeil sat inside the bridge of the Kodiak, which was currently nestled snugly inside of Phoenix Base. Both Chandra and Brink were busy at work at their stations, leaving the bridge in a relative quiet, although inside McNeil's mind was anything but. Phoenix Base was in a state of total disaster: the Tiberium refinery was completely destroyed, power was heavily damaged, and most of the command staff had either been killed or kidnapped, including Commander Tao. The base was essentially a write off at this point, but a victory was still a victory, at least to McNeil.

"Sir, I have General Solomon on secure channel four." Brink suddenly announced.

McNeil tapped a button on a side console and brought up the video call of the main screen. Whatever cocky remark he had planned, died as soon as he saw Solomon's face.

"_Good job McNeil, Nod is on the run. Unfortunately I have bad news: we just received this transmission."_

The screen changed to a fuzzy recording of Commander Tao being held at knifepoint. McNeil instantly recognized the slick haired Latino man holding the knife, and he felt his blood begin to boil.

"_Smile for the camera commander, we must look our best when the Brotherhood comes to visit. The lease you can do is wear_ _a tie!"_

The man slit Tao's throat, and McNeil had to look away from the gruesome scene. The video ended and Solomon once again occupied the screen.

"_That drug dealing animal-"_

"Vega: king of the eye candy trade. He's been dealing that poison for years."

"And he's his own best customer." Chandra added.

"_We now know that Vega is leading the Nod forces here in America. I want you to find that bastard, and bring him down."_

"With pleasure sir."

Solomon nodded, then ended the call. McNeil took a deep breath to calm his anger.

"Let's get ready to move out. I have a war to win."

… … …

**_Author's note: I want to thank Ian Otter for taking time out of his busy life to edit my stories. If it wasn't for him then these stories wouldn't even be half as good as they are now. So be sure to check out Battle: Actium in the Halo fanfiction section._**

**_Thanks everyone for reading._**

**_Until next time._**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

_Battle is the most magnificent competition in which a human being can indulge. It brings out all that is best; it removes all that is base. All men are afraid in battle. The coward is the one who lets his fear overcome his sense of duty. Duty is the essence of manhood.  
George S. Patton_

**Jerusalem, Israel **

**September 7th, 2030**

**1900**

Wade Tabok sat at a table in what had once been a GDI barracks. He and the other members of his squad sat in silence as they slowly drank their water, wishing it was beer. Tabok had hoped the decadent pigs would have had some, but it seemed even GDI suffered from crop shortages. He sighed as he took a sip of his warm, but thankfully, purified water. The mood was melancholy despite their great victory today. The rest of the army was out celebrating through the streets of the old holy city. But Tabok and the others didn't feel like joining them as they were still mourning their losses.

"Remember when Jet first joined the garrison? Just this scrawny little Zone Runner who could barely hold a rifle." Aaron suddenly mused out loud.

"Still knew how to kick your ass." Damien grumbled.

"Good soldier. Good friend." Phong added in.

"What about you Wade?" Aaron asked after a moment of silence.

Tabok thought back to all the time he had served with Jet. She had been a fierce fighter and even fiercer lover. But more importantly, not only had she been a loyal friend to everyone in the squad, she had been family. When Tabok noticed the others were still waiting for a reply, he just simply said,

"She was a good woman."

The others all nodded their heads at that and once again silence settled over the group. Tabok was about to announce his intentions to go to bed when Aaron suddenly shot up. Tabok quickly turned to see what had caused his reaction when he noticed Joyce standing in the doorway.

"Evening boys. Please sit, just came to have a chat with you." Joyce said as she walked into the room.

"Of course Staff Sergeant. How can we help you?" Damien asked.

"I have a proposition for you. How would you all like to officially join the Blackhand?"

Tabok exchanged looks with his squadmates, reading their various reactions: Damien just had his usual scowl, while Aaron had childlike excitement in his eyes. Phong however just had an odd smile. Tabok turned back to Joyce to see an expectant smile on her face.

"How could we refuse such an offer?" Tabok stated after a moment.

"You can't, I was just being polite by asking. Normally we take recruits from our acolytes, people who have had years of rigorous training. But unfortunately our numbers are still rather small, so I decided to work around the Magistrates and recruit from the Army. Aka: you guys."

"We are honoured, but why us specifically?" Damien questioned.

"Because you are capable fighters. I heard about your exploits today, very inspiring, forcing a Wolverine off a bridge with a mere van."

"It was nothing, really." Aaron sheepishly replied.

"The point is, you are perfect candidates to join. Plus I like you guys. So it's settled: meet back here at 0600."

Joyce got to her feet and made her way back to the entrance, leaving the squad in awe of what just happened. She abruptly stopped and turned back to the group.

"Oh, Brother Wade? Would you be so kind as to escort me back to the officer's quarters?"

"Of course Sister."

Tabok hurried after Joyce, ignoring the looks he was receiving from his friends. He followed her into the warm night air, where they could hear victorious Nod troops celebrating. They quickly walked down the streets towards a Hand of Nod that served as the officer's quarters. It was guarded by a trio of cyborgs that Joyce walked past without a second glance. Tabok was more careful as he passed them, feeling his skin crawl as he did. No matter how many times he saw them, they still freaked him out.

Joyce led Tabok through the barracks and into the subterranean levels where the personal quarters were located. Unlike the enlisted barracks, which had one large room for bunks, this one was divided into several private rooms. Tabok patiently waited to be dismissed once they reached Joyce's room, but was surprised when she invited him in. He barely had time to close the door before she pushed him up against the wall and locked her lips with his. Tabok was shocked by the abrupt kiss, but he wasn't about to complain. Instead he grabbed her waist and drew her in deeper.

After a moment, Joyce broke away and began removing her clothing, which Tabok quickly followed suit. There was no grace to it; they both moved as fast as they could before Tabok pushed Joyce onto the cot and forced his way inside her womanhood. She let out a pleasured moan as Tabok began to thrust with as much force as he could muster. Joyce dug her nails into his back and began moving against his thrusts, creating a pleasurable rhythm. There was no passion to the act, no love, it was just lustful desire. It was just a fun way for two soldiers to relieve stress.

After nearly an hour of their _stress __relieving__exercise, _the two simply laid on the cot panting. They laid there for a moment before Joyce got up to retrieve her clothes.

"I hope you understand that we need to keep this confidential. This is just for fun, nothing more."

"Of course." Tabok said with a self-satisfied grin.

"And not a word of this to your friends either."

Joyce punctuated her statement by jabbing her finger towards Tabok.

"Yes ma'am."

Joyce let out an exasperated sigh as she began to put her clothes back on. But she stopped when she noticed Tabok watching her, and the reaction it created. She smiled like a predator about to pounce on its meal as she climbed on top of him. They quickly got back into their rhythm and both let out pleasured moans.

Tabok had a good feeling about joining the Blackhand.

… … …

Anton Slavik sat on his command throne inside the Montauk. Outwardly he was cold and calm, but inwardly he was nervous. He was about to speak with the Messiah himself, face to face, so to speak. He hadn't had any direct contact with Kane since Hassan's execution, and the prospect was terrifying him.

"Channels are secured and encrypted. You should be getting a visual any moment." Oxanna reported from her station.

Slavik could detect the anticipation in her voice as she too wished to see Kane. Slavik just took a deep breath and waited for the video call to connect. A moment later, the grandiose visage of Kane appeared on the Montauk's main screen.

"You have done well." Kane said with a paternal smile.

"We have waited a long time." Slavik replied reverently.

"All of the pieces are in place for our final victory, except one. Our temple at Sarajevo must be reclaimed. GDI has been excavating it and they are dangerously close to finding something they must not discover. General Vega is approaching from the north. Secure the temple, then I will contact you with further instructions."

Kane's face disappeared and was replaced by the Brotherhood's holy mark. Slavik let out a shuttered breath before quickly replacing the mask of a stoic leader.

"GDI has currently placed the city of Sarajevo under military law. However the temple itself is only lightly defended by a small outpost. With General Vega slated to arrive from the north, we should approach the outpost directly via the south." CABAL reported.

"It would take too long to mobilize our entire force. We will have to travel light." Oxana added.

"Very well. Lieutenant, I'll leave you to assemble a force to reclaim our most holy temple. Kane has given us this task himself, we will not fail."

"Peace through power!"

Oxana saluted then departed the bridge. Slavik watched her depart as he waited for CABAL to manifest himself.

"At long last, my vision is finally coming to fruition." CABAL stated as his avatar appeared before the command throne.

"What do you mean _your _vision? This was all prophesied by Kane. You'd do well to remember your place machine."

"Yes of course. But do not rest on your laurels now. There is still much left required of you. I would hate to see Kane's protégé turn out to be a waste."

Slavik ignored CABAL's remarks, instead, focusing his gaze out of the Montauk and into the city of Jerusalem. He would not fail his messiah, not when they were so close. Not when ascension was at hand. There was only a single course laid out for him: total and utter victory. He hadn't been trained for anything less.

… … …

**Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina **

**September 8****th**** 2030**

**1100**

The inside of the Subterranean APC was somehow smaller than that of the Reckoners, which resulted in Tabok being pressed uncontrollably against the bulkhead, as the transport raced through the underground tunnels. He supposed it made sense, given all the space necessary for the large drill, but he still wished it was more comfortable. His only solace was seeing Joyce seated in front of him, as it allowed him to mentally remove her armour.

He quickly shook the thought from his head, lest he become distracted by carnal thoughts before battle. Besides, not only was he now an official member of the Blackhand, but his first mission was one of monumental significance: reclamation of the holy temple.

Everyone in the squad had made sure to visit the local confessor to offer up prayers and blessings before undertaking such a holy task. To think that he had once been a lowly grunt under the rule of Hassan, and now he was a righteous crusader serving the Messiah himself. It was truly a great time to be Nod.

Joyce'shand suddenly shot up to the side of her helmet, indicating she was getting a call over the secure command channel. After a moment she rose to her feet to address the soldiers crammed into the transport.

"Brothers and Sisters! Ready yourselves, for we shall soon arrive at the LZ. This is sacred land to our Brotherhood, and the infidels dare defile it with their presence. Remove their taint with fire and fury! One vision, one purpose!" Joyce shouted.

"The technology of peace!" They all chanted in unison.

Suddenly the transport shifted direction and began to move _up. _Tabok gripped his restraints as the transport began to shake violently as it burrowed its way to the surface. It felt like an eternity of being shaken inside a tin can before the transport finally broke free to the surface and settled on the ground. It was barely a minute before the rear hatch opened, allowing harsh light to flood in, before the Nod soldiers shoved their way outside.

Tabok stopped in his tracks as the sight before him left him dumbstruck. Damien nearly marched into him, and began to curse before he too fell silent at what laid in front of them.

Once there had been a verdant field beyond the outer limits of the city of Sarajevo, where Temple Prime had been constructed. Now a massive crater was in its place, and it stretched on seemingly for miles. Tabok slowly stepped over to the edge of the crater, where it fell off in a sheer drop to the bottom. Far off in the distance he could make out shapes of structures surrounding a series of scaffolds.

"By God and all the saints." Damien breathed, as he quickly made the sign of the Brotherhood across his forehead.

"This is Temple Prime? What did GDI do to it?" Aaron asked as he moved close.

"They destroyed it. And we are going to make them pay for every brick and pillar with their blood." Tabok replied.

"Form up people!" Joyce suddenly shouted.

The soldiers quickly gathered in formation around their transport as units from two other transport did likewise. Eventually the massive frame of the Montauk burst forth from the earth, spewing mounds of dirt into the air. The large command vehicle quickly opened several hatches along its sides, lowering ramps which allowed more Nod troops to descend from. A large infantry force was quickly assembled, forming an entire company's worth. Eventually Commander Slavik's voice resonated over the radio.

"_Brothers a__nd Sisters of Nod! We are here to reclaim our lost temple, as ordered by Kane himself! We shall not fail this sacred duty!"_

"_Sister Jo__yce. Take your unit and scout out the enemy check point nearby. According to CABAL it is the only way in and out of the crater." _

"As you will, sir! Okay people, let's move out. Damien, your squad has point."

The small unit began moving away from the rest of the company, skirting along the edge of the crater. Tabok shifted his gaze to the blasted field opposite the crater. This was where the great battle had taken place, where many had considered the end of the First Tiberium War to have occurred. The ground had turned to sand and charred glass, both from the Ion Cannon strike decades ago, and the ecological effects of Tiberium. He could make out the wreckage of both Nod and GDI vehicles, long since picked over by scavengers. It was a humbling sight, but he had to focus on the task at hand. Still, he quietly offered a prayer to the souls of all the fallen warriors of Nod.

The unit eventually came within view of a small checkpoint, which was nothing more than a single barracks and a guard tower. It, however, protected a hastily constructed pathway leading down into the crater. Joyce quickly led the unit into cover behind what Tabok could only assume had once been a Nod T-80 tank. She brought her rifle up to her shoulder and scanned the area through its scope.

"Four men guarding the entrance. One in the tower. I also see a HEMTT parked behind the barracks, meaning there's probably more infidels inside." Joyce reported as she lowered her rifle.

"Shouldn't be too much for us to handle." Damien added as he hoisted his new laser rifle.

"Agreed. Sergeant Damien, take your men around the right. Sebastian, you deal with that watchmen, I'll take our squad to the left. Understood?"

They all nodded in acknowledgment before they quickly readied themselves for the attack. Sebastian readied his own laser rifle and stood up to take aim, only for his head to disappear in a splatter of blood. A second later the loud boom of a .50 calibre sniper rifle went off.

"Sniper! In the tower!"

"Stay in cover! Fucking damn it!" Joyce angrily shouted.

Another sniper round pierced through the rusted armour of the tank, narrowly missing Tabok's chest by a few inches. Tabok reactively fell on his ass just as another shot burst through the tank.

"We can't stay here! We need to move!" Damien shouted over the boom of the sniper rifle.

"Agreed! Sergeant, push forward, we'll cover."

"Roger that!"

Joyce and her squad quickly peered around from cover and unleashed a torrent of deadly light and steel. The shots missed but they managed to drive the sniper into cover for a moment. Tabok and the others then raced across the field, bounding from cover to cover as they made their way towards the checkpoint, where the other GDI soldiers were already waiting. Another sniper shot went off, but thankfully it wasn't aimed for them. More lasers and kinetic bullets were fired from behind the tank, chewing away at the guard tower.

Once Tabok and the others got within range of the checkpoint, they immediately began to fire on the GDI guards in response to the hail of bullets thrown their way. Damien fired a single laser bolt that burned through a soldier's chest, causing him to let out a loud scream. Tabok fired a protracted burst but his target managed to duck into cover without being hit. He cursed as he continued to run forward, trying to close the gap and also avoid being hit by the sniper. He risked looking over to the tower, and noticed a volley of laser bolts burning through the thin metal plating. The GDI sniper abruptly stood up and attempted to flee down the ladder, only to take a laser bolt through the chest, which sent him plummeting to the hard ground below. With the sniper finally dealt with, the unit surged on the outpost with force.

More GDI soldiers emerged from the barracks, only to meet a wall of lasers and bullets. Tabok witnessed one enemy soldier having the misfortune of taking a laser bolt to the face, burning through his helmet and the flesh beneath. However it failed to kill him and instead, melted half his face and causing him to scream in gurgled agony. In the meantime, Tabok unleashed a spray of bullets towards a duo of GDI troops hiding behind a defensive barricade. As they ducked, he retrieved a grenade from his belt and tossed it over the barrier. The enemy managed to avoid the explosion as they leapt away, but it merely put them out in the open. Tabok quickly fired two bursts that killed the enemy soldiers before they could get back up.

The unit collapsed in on the defenders, quickly overwhelming them. As the last GDI soldier fell dead to the ground, the fighting abruptly ended, filling the air with the sound of a howling wind, and the smell of ozone and burnt flesh.

"Fan out!" Joyce barked as soon as it was clear the fight was over. "Search the barracks for more heretics! You!" she pointed at one of the nearby Blackhand soldiers. "Tend to our wounded Brothers and Sister. Corporal Tabok! Secure the heretics' vehicles!"

"Yes Staff Sergeant!"

The Nod soldiers began to fan out around the barracks as Joyce turned to her radio to report back to the Montauk. Tabok and Aaron both ran over to check out the large HEMTT, but found it empty. They eventually returned to the front, where they found a Blackhand soldier dragging a frightened looking GDI private outside.

"Please don't kill me! I surrender!"

Tabok cringed at the man's pathetic pleading. Joyce lowered her radio simply stood over him for a moment, staring down at him through her opaque visor. Without warning, she whipped out her pistol and fired a single shot through the man's head, splattering his brain matter across the ground. Tabok winced, but didn't say anything. There could only be one solution for heretics and infidels.

Holstering her weapon, Joyce turned away and began calmly barking out orders, as if she hadn't just executed a man.

"Orders have come in," she reported. "Commander Slavik is moving the unit forward. It's time we retake our temple."

"Amen to that." Aaron added.

Joyce gave a viscous laugh, the one a huntress would at watching her prey try to escape. He almost felt sorry for anyone who'd be unfortunate enough to end up in her sights. Almost.

… … …

Slavik stood at the edge of the crater, gazing down as his forces made their way to the bottom. He stood with two other people, although only one he could see. Oxana watched with a mixture of reverence and anger as she stared towards the ruins of the temple. Brother Higgs merely stood by with his usual disdain.

"Don't see what the big deal is. It's just a fucking building, or it was anyways. Ain't nothing holy 'bout a bunch of rocks." Higgs' spectral form spat.

"How could you be so blasphemous? You were a member of Kane's elite cadre." Slavik replied heatedly.

"Yeah cause the pay was good. Never was into that religious mumbo jumbo."

"All the more reason I'm glad I-"

"Did you say something sir?"

Slavik turned to face Oxana as Higgs' ghost disappeared. He sighed at the annoying spectre and tried to play it off.

"Just thinking aloud. CABAL reports the base is lightly defended, but it seems to be occupied by a special task force. Our troops should move with caution."

"Agreed sir. GDI won't give up the excavation site so easily."

"Any word from Vega?"

"None sir."

"That's fine. I don't really want that rat inside the temple. Why Kane even trusts him is beyond me."

Slavik kicked a loose rock and watched it tumble down the crater wall before he turned to walk back to the Montauk. He was halfway back to the command vehicle when a dark shadow passed over him. Years of torturous training took over and he quickly dived out of the way just as a volley of bullets tore up the ground he had just been on. Slavik quickly recovered from his roll and grabbed his sidearm, aiming it up to the sky to find a GDI Jump Trooper. These soldiers were equipped with large, winged jump packs, allowing them to hover through the air.

The Trooper shifted his aim towards Slavik, but he was able to fire off several shots before the enemy could. His bullets tore through the light armour with ease, and sent the Trooper plummeting to the ground. Slavik looked back towards the crater in time to see another six Troopers flying towards him. Oxana came running over along with their bodyguards, her SMG in hand.

"Get back to the Montauk!" she shouted, grabbing hold of him and pushing him along as he heard his bodyguards opening fire on the Troopers.

They both ran back and Slavik glanced back in time to see one of his bodyguards toppling to the ground, a smoking hole in the back of his head. The other guard whirled around, but he too was quickly cut to pieces, leaving only Slavik and Oxana remaining. The GDI Troopers began firing at their heels and Oxana stopped long enough to fire a quick burst before she began running again.

"CABAL we've been ambushed! Enemy Jump Troopers! Bastards must have scrambled our scanners!"

The AI didn't reply, which was odd given his penchant for crude remarks. Slavik began to worry the machine was about to abandon them, when three more of Slavik's personnel guards came racing out from the Montauk. They quickly leveled their laser rifles at the flying enemy troops and let loose a volley of ruby light. Slavik stopped and turned to watch two Troopers fall to the ground, wreathed in flames. The four remaining flyers returned fire and began saturating the ground with bullets. Slavik grabbed Oxana and pulled her down with him into cover behind one of the Montauk's massive treads. The bodyguards continued to try and shoot down the enemy, but were promptly torn apart by the enemy.

The four GDI Troopers hovered in place for a moment. When it seemed clear that no more forces would exit the command vehicle, they slowly descended to the ground. They began to slowly approach the tread that Slavik and Oxana were hiding behind, two for each side. Slavik gave Oxana a crisp nod which she mirrored, they then both stepped out and fired at the enemy before they could react. Slavik fired two quick shots, both which shattered the Troopers visors and sent them sprawling to the floor in a spray of glass and blood. Oxana unleashed a burst from her SMG and quiet literally ripped the enemy apart from such close range.

Slavik opened his mouth to speak, but before he could say anything, Oxana suddenly screamed, "Commander!"

The next thing Slavik knew, Oxana was grabbing him in a large embrace before, mere moments later, they were both hurtled to the ground by a large explosion.

With his ears ringing from the blast, Slavik tried to figure out what had just happened, but one thing was painfully clear to him: Oxana had just saved his life by shielding him with her own body.

Carefully easing her still form off him, Slavik hurriedly checked her over for injuries as another explosion went off above his head. Once he had confirmed that she was still alive, but unconscious, he searched for the source of the attack. He spotted two more Troopers, armed with rocket launchers firing on the Montauk. They had elevated themselves far out of Slavik's range, and were raining destruction onto his command vehicle without resistance.

"CABAL we are under attack damn it! What are you doing?"

"_Our forces are under attack. I've been trying to coordinate them so they don't all die. I've sent for more guards to reinforce you outside. Now would you please stop them from damaging my precious Montauk." _

Slavik just growled in annoyance and went to tend to Oxana while he waited for more of his bodyguards to arrive. He carefully dragged her back behind the tread while the two Troopers continued to fire on the Montauk. Large pieces of the metal plating began to fall down like obsidian rain. They would need a lot of ordnance to pierce through the vehicle's thick armour, but the drawback was that the Montauk was completely unarmed.

Another squad of Blackhand soldiers emerged from the command vehicle. They quickly spotted and the Troopers and opened fire. The Troopers managed to dodge and weave around the laser bolts, flying around like annoying insects. One such trooper began to fly lower in an attempt to avoid the lasers burning through the air, leading him to be within range of Slavik. Slavik quickly leveled his sidearm and began firing off the rest of the magazine. The Trooper managed to dodge most of his rounds, but one lucky shot sent the Trooper careening into the side of the Montauk. The Trooper then slid down the side before crashing limply to the ground. The second soldier also fell to his death as a laser bolt burned through one of his wings.

With the GDI ambush having finally been dealt with, Slavik stepped out to survey the damage. Thankfully it seemed relatively minor, with only the outer armour having been damaged. He quickly ordered his bodyguards to move Oxana to the infirmary while he ran to the bridge. He quickly made his way to the command throne where CABAL's avatar was already waiting.

"Get me a visual feed from our forces now. And patch me in to all unit leaders."

… … …

Tabok awoke to find himself staring up at a bright blue sky, marred by dark clouds. He was confused for a moment as to where he was or how he got there. But he quickly grew less concerned about himself and began panicking about Joyce. Where was she? Was she okay?

His memory flooded back to him as the sound of gunfire broke through the ringing in his ears. He bolted upright, and was nearly shot in the head for the effort. He rolled onto his stomach and crawled on all fours for a moment before getting to his feet and running to the nearest friendly unit he saw. There wasn't much cover on the crater, but a fellow Nod soldier had managed to set up at LMG on a piece of corroded metal from an old GDI Orca.

The soldier paid Tabok no attention as he raked his weapon back and forth, and Tabok took a moment to catch his breath before he looked over to see what was going on. He remembered the unit was marching towards the GDI base, before they were suddenly ambushed. He couldn't remember anything past that.

"Hey! Where's Staff Sergeant Joyce?" Tabok yelled over the roar of the machine gun.

"Fuck if I know!" The Soldier yelled back.

Tabok bite back a curse and rested his rifle on the piece of metal and added his fire along with the machine gun's. The Nod force had found themselves encircled by the GDI attackers. Tabok wondered how they had even managed to sneak up on them, but found his answer in the form of a crashed GDI Hammerhead gunship on the ground. He was about to turn away from the downed gunship, until he noticed four Nod soldiers using it as cover, and despite the full body covering armour, he recognized them as his squad.

"Fuck me." Tabok groaned.

He kept firing his weapon at any enemy soldier he saw as he tried to figure out a way to rejoin his friends.

"Reloading! Cover me!"

He looked over to see the gunner frantically trying to load a new belt into his machine gun. In the weapon's absence, a GDI grenadier readied to fire a grenade directly towards them. Tabok held down on the trigger and simply hosed down the area. One of his shots managed to hit the grenadier on the leg, causing him to fall backwards at the same time he lobbed a grenade. However instead of launching towards Tabok, it instead fired straight into the air before falling back down atop the grenadier. The resulting explosion created a rather gruesome mess, but it gave him the cover he needed to make it to the Hammerhead. Seeing that the gunner had reloaded, Tabok darted across the battlefield towards his squadmates.

"Wade! Thank the Messiah you're alright!" Aaron greeted happily.

"About time Corporal." Damien said grumpily, but not without humor.

"What happened?" Tabok asked as he shot an enemy soldier attempting to drag a comrade to safety.

"You don't remember? Hammerhead showed up and started blasting us apart. We managed to shoot it down but it damn near fell on top of us. You got knocked out when it crashed and a piece of rotor blade nearly severed your head." Joyce recanted.

"Well thank the holy saints it didn't. I kind of need my head attached to my body." Tabok remarked lightheartedly, although internally he was petrified by his brush with death.

"We could have just slapped a cyborg head onto your body. Would've been an improvement in my opinion." Damien interjected.

Tabok rolled his eyes as they returned their focus to the ongoing battle. The Nod forces were quickly being herded into an even tighter circle as the GDI troops pushed their advantage. Tabok noted the growing number of fallen brothers as they retreated towards the Hammerhead. Tabok began to grow uncertain that they would be able to hold off the ambush.

"I don't know how much longer we can hold out for." He stated over the staccato of gunfire.

"We hold until our last breath!" Joyce shouted in response.

It wasn't exactly the answer he had been hoping for, but he just gritted his teeth and kept shooting. He ducked down to reload his rifle, and found himself with only two magazines left. Convinced that this was to be his last stand, he gave a quick prayer and readied himself to die in the name of the Brotherhood. Feeling oddly calm now, he stood up and resumed firing, killing two GDI soldiers that had overrun the LMG position from earlier. The entire Nod unit had nearly collapsed in on the Hammerhead, and it was clear GDI would not relent. Joyce's voice suddenly boomed over the radio.

"If we die here today, then it shall be on our terms! Take as many of the infidels with you! Drown the pits of hell with their blood! Peace through power!"

The Nod forces gave a hearty war cry in response, then suddenly turned their retreat into a full frontal charge. The GDI forces seemed caught off guard, but they dug their heels and kept fighting. Tabok ran alongside Aaron and together they fired wildly as they charge forward, screaming murder and justice as they did. Tabok by some miracle managed to avoid being shot, and he quickly tackled a GDI soldier to the ground, where he proceeded to bash his head in with the butt of his rifle. The man's head was swiftly crushed and Tabok hunted for another target before he was suddenly tackled to the ground himself.

He pushed the person off him, finding out Aaron had just saved his life as a GDI soldier had been standing behind him, though now he was on the ground with a few extra holes in his chest.

"Thanks brother, you saved my…"

Tabok looked over to find Aaron staring at him through a shattered visor, blood pouring out from where his right eye should have been. Tabok felt suddenly very cold as he gazed at his friend's dead body. The sounds of war grew distant, despite being a scant few feet away.

"No. No no no! Aaron! God damn it!"

Tabok felt hot tears streak down his face. It wasn't fair, first Jet and now Aaron? Damn GDI! Damn Slavik and his Blackhand for even forcing Tabok and his friends into this war! A new found rage overtook him and he grabbed both his rifle and Aaron's. In a fit of unhinged anger he hefted both weapons and fired in wild and crazed arcs, killing several GDI soldiers and nearly hitting a few of his own allies. He kept firing until the weapons clicked empty, but he somehow could not tear himself away to reload, instead he kept screaming and holding the triggers. Until someone grabbed him by the shoulders and forced him to duck down. He whirled on whoever it was and found himself face to face with Joyce, her hands still firmly holding his shoulders.

"Get a hold of yourself Wade! The fuck are you doing?"

"Fuck you! You bastards killed him! You killed Aaron!"

Tabok regretted how angry he was at her, but he could not contain the raw emotion flowing through him. Joyce managed to look hurt, despite him not being able to see her face. She looked over at Aaron's corpse, then she grabbed Tabok's helmet and looked directly at him.

"I'm sorry about Aaron. But it was GDI who killed him, not me. Turn your anger to the enemy, but don't go crazy. We can survive this, you and me."

Tabok felt himself calm down a bit at her soothing tone. He was still angry, and scared, and tired, but her voice seemed to be enough. He just nodded his head and dropped his rifle, then reloaded Aaron's. Joyce shouldered her laser rifle, and together they both rejoined the fight. By this point what remained of the Nod force had completely intermixed with the GDI strike team. It had turned into a bloody and chaotic close quarters brawl, and Nod was clearly winning. GDI soldiers were well trained and well-armed, but they simply could not counter the unpredictable nature of Nod soldiers. There was no strategy that could stop pure, raw zealotry.

The battle ended abruptly, and the survivors found themselves drenched in blood. It gave a rather terrifying image, black and red armour coated in the gore of their enemies. But the cost had been great: almost half of the unit sent to reclaim the temple had been killed. Tabok stood where he was, panting with exhaustion, Joyce rested a hand on his shoulder. Without even aware he had done it, he collapsed to his knees and began to cry. Joyce knelt next to him and pulled him close, he gave into his emotions and began to weep.

He regretted having ever joined the Blackhand.

… … …

"Twenty-seven casualties, including five critically wounded, all of whom have been extracted back to the Montauk. 48.26% of our force has been wiped out." CABAL reported with disinterest.

"We can't let up on our assault. We must retake the temple. What's the position of Vega's forces?"

"Unknown. He stopped sending updates and has since dropped off the radar." Oxana reported from her station, now sporting a bandage wrapped around her head.

"Damned coward. Fine, we do it without him. Order our remaining forces to advance."

"Sir the base is still well defended. We'd be attacking with half strength." Oxana objected.

"We have done more with less. Besides, I have an idea."

… … …

It was nearly twenty minutes later when his forces had amassed just outside the range of the GDI base. He could see bits of Temple Prime through the helmet feeds of his soldiers. The base itself consisted of a communications centre, along with a single war factory and several barracks to house both soldiers and research staff. CABAL also provided satellite feeds which allowed him to see the base had no fighting vehicles; instead it simply contained APCs and HEMTTs. Still there was a sizable infantry force along with two Vulcan auto turrets.

However, he had a solution. It had required him to sacrifice two of the Montauk's spare Tiberium fusion cores, as well as sacrifice one of his own men.

"Brother Zorvich? Are you ready?"

Slavik watched the man's helmet cam as he climbed into the driver's seat of the stolen GDI HEMTT.

"_Yes sir. The bomb is secured and I am ready to fulfill my task." _Zorvich stated calmly.

"Then go with the blessings of Kane."

"_Peace through power!"_

Zorvich put the truck into gear and drove away from the Montauk, down into the crater. He barreled over the scarred terrain, eventually passing by the gathered Nod forces. He aimed the truck for the right side Vulcan turret, shouting holy litanies as he got closer. The turrets opened fire on the truck, easily tearing into the driver's cabin. The video feed went dead as Zorvich was eviscerated by the high caliber rounds. But it was too late, the truck was already set on its course, and slammed into the turret.

A massive explosion shook the entire crater, sending a column of green-black smoke rolling into the air. The Tiberium radiation warnings on his soldier's suits went crazy at the sudden release. Slavik just saw this a divine retribution, for GDI would dare try to destroy the precious gift that was Tiberium.

When the smoke cleared, the two turrets were gone, and several barracks were up in flames. GDI soldiers scrambled to organize themselves from the devastating attack, but they weren't fast enough as his men descended upon them. It seemed their blood lust had not yet been satiated, as they stormed into the base without mercy. Slavik smiled as he watched Oxana relay all the video feeds across the Brotherhood. All the masses would see righteous Nod soldiers reclaiming the temple, but all GDI would see was blood soaked warriors decimating their forces.

Wars were not just fought on the battlefield.

"_Valkyrie 1-1, we are moving into the comms centre now." _

"_This is Babylon 6-2, encountering heavy resistance near the power plant!"_

"_Viper 2-2, moving to assist Babylon 6 over__."_

Slavik carefully managed his forces, like pieces on a chessboard, as they moved through the base. If it seemed one unit would be overrun, he would pull them back and regroup. If GDI was faltering in one location, he would order his men to strike and break through. Warfare was a delicate game, one not easily mastered.

"_Commander, be advised GDI has sent a response to the distress signal. Forces from a garrison in Croatia are on route to Sarajevo right now. Estimated, twenty minutes till arrival." _Joyce reported through haggard breaths.

"CABAL how long until the rest of our forces arrive from Israel?"

"They should arrive by early tomorrow morning. I estimate the GDI forces will abandon the temple once they see our army approaching."

"Very well. Then we must reach the temple quickly."

Slavik returned his attention to his tactical display. With the comms building secured, the rest of the base had fallen in quick order. The barracks were destroyed, and the war factory had been cleared out, with all the equipment and vehicles now under his control. The battle had cost him a great deal, but now Temple Prime was again belonged to the Brotherhood of Nod.

"Move the Montauk down there. It is time we claimed Kane's prize."

… … …

The upper levels of the temple had been utterly destroyed by the Ion Cannon thirty years ago. However GDI had managed to dig their way to the lowest subterranean levels, and they had remained remarkably intact. Tabok marched through the vaunted halls of Nod's most holy temple, and he felt ashamed for getting it dirty with his grime and gore covered armour. The walls were made of the darkest obsidian, and lined with marble stained blood red. Portraits and artwork still hung on the walls, though with a few layers of dust. Intermixed with the architecture however were conduits and pipes, some pulsating with odd red light.

Tabok should have felt euphoric; every Nod citizen had dreamt of walking these halls. But the death of Aaron weighed heavily on his soul. All he could think about was how his young friend would have stared in wide eyed wonder. Joyce and Damien walked close by; they all seemed to seek comfort in each other's presence. The only one who seemed unfazed by it all was Phong, as he reverently passed his hand over the walls as they moved deeper into the temple.

"Not much further. The vault will be located on the next level." Commander Slavik said from the front.

After the Commander had arrived he immediately led them into the temple, seeming uncharacteristically eager to retrieve their objective. Again, Tabok knew he should have felt honoured to be in Slavik's presence, but he still rested the blame for his friend's deaths on him. Tabok had sunk into such a melancholy mood that it took him several seconds longer to react to the sudden burst of gunfire.

"Contact front!"

Tabok snapped up his rifle and fired down the hallway towards a three way intersection. Dark figures had attempted to run passed the Nod forces and even seemed surprised to find them there. One of the figures was flung backwards from the force of a shotgun blast to the chest. As his body hit the wall his face revealed several heinous growths protruding from it.

"Mutants! Purge the unclean!"

The mutants had hardly any time to react as they were swiftly cut down. A few managed to retreat down the hall they had come from and bring their weapons to bear, but it proved to be a futile effort. Tabok reloaded his rifle as they all moved forward, stepping over the mutants' corpses. They moved much faster now, knowing the temple was infested.

They reached the final level of the temple, and came into a large room. At the far end was a massive vault door, and Lieutenant Oxana immediately ran over to a control pad beside it. The soldiers quickly formed a defensive perimeter around the room, as the Lieutenant worked. Commander Slavik however stood in front of the vault door, waiting for it to open. After a few minutes the room was filled with a loud screeching as the vault door slowly slid open. Tabok couldn't help but turn to look back and see what magnificent treasures lay beyond. The door finally opened to reveal…nothing. Simply a vast cavern that was devoid of vast piles of gold and gems and singing cherubs.

"No. There's nothing here! I don't understand, how did those mutants get in here!?"

Tabok recoiled at the anger in Slavik's voice, a murderous fire burning in his eyes. Oxana managed to remain calm despite being the recipient of the outrage, she nearly held a hand to her head as she listened in to someone.

"We're receiving an emergency transmission."

"What?"

Slavik raised his tacpad closer as a video transmission came through. Tabok positioned himself closer as to see, but not so close as to earn the Commander's wrath. Eventually the image of a disheveled looking man appeared, and Slavik was less than pleased.

"Vega?"

"Slavik! I need your help. I…_borrowed _this stupid ship to help settle a score, and now I can't control it. I'm going down somewhere bear Houston. Mayday! Mayday!"

"Idiot." Slavik hissed. "CABAL, alert local battle-commanders, and prepare the rest of our forces for immediate departure. If Vega is lucky then he will die in the crash."

"And inform Kane, he won't be pleased." Oxana added.

Tabok stood still as he watched Slavik and Oxana storm off back down the hallway. The others slowly followed in their wake, their hard won victory having turned into a defeat.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

_Violence, naked force, has settled more issues in history than has any other factor._

_Robert A. Heinlein, Starship Troopers_

**New Rome, Antarctica**

**September 11****th****,**** 2030**

**1300**

Lia Kinsburg walked down a long glass tunnel that connected the transportation hub to the main administration building. Outside, a blizzard was threatening to consume the small city built on the most inhospitable continent in the world. Well, it used to be the most inhospitable. That title could very well go to the Italian peninsula, but that was beside the point. The point was it was gods damned cold here, so cold in fact, if you stepped outside without proper equipment, you'd be dead. There was one sole reason GDI had built this city here in the first place: it was safe from Tiberium.

It made sense given Tiberium had difficulty growing in colder temperatures, but she was still very thankful she didn't have to live here. Instead she was here on official business for the Board of Directors, specifically the Director-General herself. It was not an easy assignment, and the wonderful world of bureaucracy was a fickle mistress, one she had spent her entire life trying to master. But there was one thing she had absolutely excelled at: taming the wild egos of self-inflated politicians.

She made it to the end of the tunnel and quickly moved through an extravagant lobby, lined with various conference rooms and lounges. Despite the entire city being built of drab, utilitarian, and sterile hab buildings, the administration building had been spared no expense. Perhaps it was a sign of decadence on GDI's part, but so long as she was warm, she could care less.

After riding up an elevator and traveling down a hall lined with fine art and decorum, she made it to a large room occupied by a single glass table. Around it were several men and woman who, at one time, held the power to rule nations. But that power had long since passed to the Board, and these men and women existed purely by title. But not even that would last for much longer.

"Presidents, Prime Ministers, and everyone in between: welcome to New Rome. I hope you have been enjoying the weather?" Kinsburg opened with a warm smile.

She was met by polite laughter from the former leaders of what had once been the G8 nations. They more than likely thought they were here to discuss having power restored to their sovereign nations. Kinsburg had to admit she was relishing the idea of bursting that bubble.

"So Ms. Kinsburg, why has the Director-General brought us to this miserable place? Why not Reykjavik or the _Philadelphia_?" United States President Michael Dugan asked.

"With the Second Tiberium War ongoing, she felt it was best to meet here, where it was safest." She replied diplomatically.

"Not to sound impatient dear, but we are very much busy people. We would like to know why we have been summoned." British Prime Minister Clara Black stated in a maternal tone.

"Of course. For several years now, following the assimilation of the United Nations into the fold of GDI, you and your governments have been pining for greater autonomy. A restoration of sovereign power as it were. Well the Director-General has a response." She paused a moment to make sure she had their attention. "With recent information provided by the GDI science divisions, and from the Mobius Foundation, we have adequate reason to believe Tiberium will consume roughly 50% of the planet by 2050. With the advent of the war with Nod, and wide spread devastation and the displacement of millions of people, the Board of Directors has come up with a radical new solution."

"Soon, the concept of nations will be replaced with the new Zone System. Areas not contaminated will be designated Blue Zones. Areas with minor but manageable infestation will be Yellow. And those areas firmly lost to us, will be known as Red Zones. It will take time to implement this new system, but in short, ladies and gentlemen, total national power shall be shifted to GDI to help maintain these new Zones. The age of nations, is I'm afraid, over."

Kinsburg took a sip of water from a glass on the table as she studied their reactions. There was just one shared emotion: anger. The various G8 leaders shot to their feet in a n emotional outburst.

"This is an OUTRAGE!" Michael roared.

"GDI is trying to take away our democracy? Trying to take the power from our people?" French President Charles Dumonte whined.

"We will not stand for tyranny such as this!" Clara stated firmly.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please-"

"No! The United States has already given everything to GDI. We will not give up our independence!"

"In case you have forgotten, our world is dying. Now please, calm yourselves for one second and realize that."

The room was stunned into silence by her cold and calm demeanor. Outwardly, she seemed as solid as iron, however inwardly, she was struggling not to scream at these morons. It did the job as the gathered people settled down and resumed sitting. Kinsburg likewise took a seat and made a show to look bashful.

"Forgive me for speaking so bluntly. But you must understand, we are losing the fight against Tiberium. And now with Kane back and Nod making war, things are truly desperate. The survival of our species is at question. Sacrifices will need to be made, and I'm afraid democracy will be one such sacrifice. We are no longer American, or British, or French, or Chinese. Now we are humans, united in the face of extinction. Will you face it together with me? Or shall we continue to argue in the middle of a -50°C blizzard while an alien crystal consumes our planet?"

Kinsburg smiled as the various world leaders nodded their heads in agreement. She pulled out several documents and handed them to each person. They were just simple pieces of paper that once signed, would do what no war, no conqueror, could ever do.

With a couple of signatures, the nations of the old world were at last gone. Now was the epoch of the new age.

… … …

**Texas, U.S.A**

**September 13****th****,**** 2030**

**0600**

John sat inside an Amphibious Armoured Personnel Carrier, or AAPC. While the general Army still used old M113s or the newer Guardian APCs, the 22nd Airborne preferred the much faster AAPCs given their quick speed and ability to traverse water, something that came in handy when they couldn't be deployed by air. The troop cabin was silent as everyone was still tired from nearly a week straight of heavy fighting. They had finally been given a brief respite before being thrown back into the frying pan.

The silence unfortunately gave John time to think to himself. Normally he enjoyed being left alone with his own thoughts, but such was not the case today after having received a message from his father.

_Heard about your first engagement. Don't let GDI down._

That had been it. No I love you, no words of encouragement, nothing. John sighed as he fiddled with his right arm guard. The only thing that had kept his mood up was he had also received a message from his younger brother, Matthew Lancaster.

_Hey man, heard you're on the front lines. I'm not worried, I know you'll kick those Nod bastards right in the teeth! Things are good up here, almost done __with__ school and already have an apprenticeship lined up. Also things are getting kinda serious with this girl. You remember her right? Anya, same class as me. Anyways have you heard from dad? Wait, probably better not ask that. Good luck bro, stay safe. I love you man. _

Life may not have been easy living with the _famous_ Mark Lancaster, but he wouldn't have traded up his bond with his brother for anything.

John was pulled from his thoughts as Xhaferi stood up and addressed the soldiers in the AAPC.

"Listen up boys and girls, there's been a slight change of plans. Orders have come down from Commander McNeil: we are now to capture the train station. Not destroy it. Apparently InOps has discovered a massive increase of Nod activity in an area near Houston. Apparently, this train station has been making non-stop trips back and forth from this new base. InOps doesn't know what's in this new base, which is why they want us to take the station now. We will still be following our armour units in, and destruction of all Nod forces remains the same. But we need to take that station. Any questions?"

Everyone remained silent and Xhaferi sat back down. John wondered what Nod was doing that had the spooks so worried. Originally they were supposed to destroy the station as it was being used to supply several bases in the Southern States. But if they wanted it captured, that meant there must be something valuable Nod was hiding.

"Man I could sleep for a week. This isn't anything like those police jobs in Carolina." Achille said from John's right.

"That's because this is war Prevost. You'd do well to remember that." West stated from John's left.

"Oh screw off _Corporal. _You aren't some grizzled war vet. You've fought in the same bush as we have."

"What was that, _Private?_"

"Come on guys chill." John tried to placate.

"How 'bout you shut your trap Lanny?"

"Tom, the hell is going on?"

West visibly cringed as Xhaferi called out to him from across the compartment. At this point everyone had turned their attention to the argument, and John could practically feel West's face grow red.

"Uh, nothing Val."

West promptly fell silent, and John gave Prevost a quick pat on the shoulder. Everyone returned to what they had been doing, except for West who was now fuming. John simply tried to relax himself as he attempted to compose a response to his brother. However he was suddenly thrown into West as the AAPC suddenly swerved violently. He wanted to ask what was happening, but Xhaferi was already shouting out orders.

"Contact! Prevost, get on the gun! Everyone else get your gear ready and hang on!"

John grabbed his rifle in one hand and gripped his restraints with the other. He watched Prevost try to make his way to the front where a ladder led to a mounted machine gun up top. He lost his footing once as the transport swerved again, but made it to the ladder and hastily climbed up. Moments later, John could hear the muffled sound of the heavy machine gun firing.

"Sergeant, what's going on?" John finally asked.

"Nod air strike!"

John just gripped his rifle tighter as the AAPC continued to move erratically. For a moment he thought he might puke out his breakfast, until the transport abruptly stopped and the ramp lowered.

"Everyone out!"

The GDI soldiers quickly filed out, and the first thing John noticed was the overwhelming sound of screeching engines. He glanced up to see four Nod Harpy attack craft were harassing the armoured column. Several of the AAPCs were attempting to shoot them down with their mounted guns, while other GDI soldiers moved quickly to set up shoulder mounted SAMs. One of the Harpies fired a burst from its chin mounted canon and easily tore apart one of the transports. It attempted to fly off but a missile exploded against its tail and sent it spiraling into the ground.

The other Harpies retreated, leaving the GDI forces to recover. John rushed over to the transport that he had witness be destroyed along with several others. They quickly forced their way inside but had to step back as a cloud of black smoke rushed out from the troop compartment. Blackened figures soon emerged and John and the others helped them out. They practically stumbled to the ground, coughing from the thick smoke in their lungs.

"Clear the way! Tanks coming through! Everyone rally up on me, let the medics tend to our wounded!"

John looked up to see Captain Mitch and the others were grouping around the Captain's AAPC. He looked back down to the injured man and noticed his blank stare. He wanted to say something to him, to try and comfort him. However he found he didn't know what to say, and was pushed out of the way by a medic who began to check over him. John instead rejoined his squad and made his way over to the others.

"Nod obviously knows we're here and are bound to send another attack. But we are staying on the offensive; we will provide support to our tanks as they roll up on the base. Let them do the heavy lifting, but keep your eyes peeled. Here come our boys now."

Rolling up from behind the AAPCs was an entire column of GDI Aegis tanks. Their armour gleaming under the Texan sun. Stomping along beside them was Warren's Wolverines and following up behind them were three massive Titans. The walking tanks made for an imposing image, their enormous cannons hung far above as the ground shook with each foot step. John had seen both the Aegis and Titan in use before, but he was still awestruck by the sheer firepower GDI had brought to bear.

"Okay people! We are Oscar Mike!"

… … …

The Kodiak had moved into the lower atmosphere, both to gain better intelligence over the battlefield and to avoid Nod AA. It had made commanding large armies far easier than during the first war, allowing commanders to safely and efficiently move forces. There were still limits however, as no amount of technological progress could ever truly 'tame' the battlefield. But McNeil had learned how to make do, and as he watched his forces slowly advance forward, he readied himself for the next step.

"EVA reports the base only houses a single squadron of Harpies. I can have the Kodiak's point defence systems deal with them should they redeploy." Brink reported.

"I don't think they will. I have visual on enemy armour moving to intercept our forces. Primarily Tick tanks but a good number of Attack Bikes and Buggies." Chandra added.

McNeil moved the live feed watching his forces over to the advancing enemy. It was a fairly substantial force being sent against him, suggesting InOps' concerns about that new Nod base were correct. All the more reason why he needed to take that station.

"Nod is going to stop by this area here. If they deploy their Ticks, it'll give them a perfect height and range on our forces." McNeil stated thoughtfully.

"We will take heavy losses if we try to push through them." Chandra warned.

"Maybe, maybe not. They'll be expecting us to get bogged down in a slug fest. That's why we push right on through. Blitz them with our tanks while the Titans hang back and provide support."

"You sure about that Mack?"

"I'm always sure." McNeil replied confidently.

Chandra just gave a nod then returned to his station. McNeil gave the order to his unit commanders and watched as his forces advanced towards the enemy. Sure enough the Nod tanks deployed into their turret configuration along the small ridge. Buggies and Bikes raced down the slope and moved to engage, hoping to soften up his men. Colonel Warren and his specialized Wolverines moved ahead of the Aegis' and engaged, ripping apart the light vehicles. Meanwhile his infantry units likewise provided support, taking down any vehicle that slipped through.

As the GDI tanks moved closer, small explosions began going off, kicking dirt into the air. The Ticks began lobbing shells down onto his forces, and a few managed to find their mark. McNeil commanded his forces to keep pushing despite the heavy fire. They suffered several more losses but his tanks were able to get close enough to return fire.

The ridge was quickly bombarded by dozens of tank shells as enemy fire continued to rain down. His infantry found themselves struggling to keep pace as the Nod light vehicles continued to harass them. McNeil just gritted his teeth and committed to his attack.

"Mouse 1, move in and engage. Take down those Tick tanks."

"_Wilco __Command__." _

The three Titans lumbered into position and fired on the enemy tanks. Their height helped level the playing field and already two Ticks were up in flames. With support from the Titans, the Aegis tanks were able to ascend the ridge and quickly laid into the Ticks. Despite losing their advantage, the enemy tanks were still well armoured and were able to take several hits before being destroyed.

It was a brutal display of warfare, as dozens of tanks tore each other apart, littering the field with burning debris and choking the air with acrid smoke. He could only image the chaos down there, the deafening sounds. McNeil tried to take a page from his idol's book, to lead his men from the front, to do as they would do. But such was not the case with modern warfare. He simply couldn't lead from the front like Mark Lancaster had once done. Instead he remained high above and watched the battle rage out before him.

He issued several orders, moving the Wolverines to support the right flank while ordering his infantry to climb the ridge and claim any gap created in the Nod line. His tanks and Titans were still locked in the heated exchange, but the Nod line was faltering.

"Sir I'm picking up those Harpies launching. Plus additional reinforcements coming from the base." Chandra suddenly reported.

"Lieutenant Brink, take care of those attack craft. Chandra, inform our boys below about those extra Nod troops. We can't lose our momentum."

Chandra and Brink both gave a quick affirmative before carrying out his orders. McNeil kept a close eye on the additional Nod forces, but kept his focus on the battle at hand. His tanks had managed to take the ridge, and the Nod Ticks quickly deployed back into their mobile form and beat a hasty retreat. The Titans continued to lob shells at them, causing several Ticks to erupt into flames. The first wave of the battle had ended, and loses were light for GDI. But the enemy still had a lot to throw at them.

"Colonel Warren, I want you and our infantry to hang back on this next wave. Focus on providing support and keep our rear safe from any Nod Bikes."

"_Understood Commander." _

The second wave consisted of an even larger number of tanks and fewer light vehicles. However McNeil spotted a swarm of Attack Bikes attempting to outflank them, and quickly relayed the news to Colonel Warren. Now that the GDI forces had entered onto a flat plain, it gave them the advantage, as the Titan's height would give them extra range, while his own tanks wouldn't have to worry about trudging uphill.

"Mouse 1 and 2, provide fire support for our tanks. Mouse 3, aide our infantry with those light vehicles."

"_Affirmative."_

"Ballista Actual, slow down your advance and take up positions of opportunity. Let them come to us this time."

"_Copy that Commander."_

McNeil gave a small smile as his forces got into position. Once they pushed passed these Nod tanks, there would be nothing left to stand in their way but the base itself. He ordered the AAPCs to start moving up behind his lead forces to provide CASEVAC for the wounded. Feeling as though they were adequately prepared for the next attack, McNeil sat back and waited for the enemy to make the next move. But when the Nod forces abruptly halted, he sat up in his chair with a confused expression.

"What are they doing?"

"I don't kno-"

Without warning three Nod subterranean APCs burst from the ground, directly in the midst of his tanks. Without hesitation his men opened fire on the enemy transports, but it was already too late as the hatches opened and disgorged their occupants. McNeil bolted out of his chair at the sight and stared on in shock.

"What the fuck are those things?"

… … …

The last thing John had expected was for the ground to rip open and for three Nod APCs to burst forth. The GDI forces were thrown into chaos as the enemy was now suddenly right on top of them. He and his squad quickly took cover by an Aegis tank. They trained their weapons on one of the transports as its side hatch opened. And revealed an utter nightmare.

They had all heard the horror stories, even reports from field agents. But somehow, even face to face with them, John still had a hard time believing what he was seeing: Cyborgs.

"Open fire dammit!" Xhaferi roared.

They opened fire in unison, sending a volley of bullets towards the Cyborgs. The bullets bounced off thick armour, or tore into pallid flesh, but either way, it did nothing to stop their advance. John hadn't realized he was so terrified of the things until his weapon ran dry and he was too petrified to reload it. One of the Cyborgs seemed to have sensed this as it turned its gaze towards him. He wanted to scream in terror but the Cyborg jolted as it was blasted by the heavy rounds from Xhaferi's DMR. The thing finally collapsed to the ground dead after three shots to the head. John broke from his stupor and quickly reloaded.

"You okay John?" Xhaferi asked.

"Good to go Sergeant!"

"That's my boy!"

They continued to hold off the Cyborgs advancing towards them, but it seemed the rest of the unit was not doing so well. Other infantry squads were being overwhelmed by the Cyborgs, with some being literally ripped to shreds. Meanwhile, the Wolverines were making short work of them, blasting them apart with their heavy guns. But in their absence, Nod Attack Bikes had managed to move in and were wreaking havoc, having already destroyed several Aegis' and damaging many more. He John noticed four Bikes break off and head straight for the Titans.

"Tangos at our rear! They're going after the walkers!" John shouted out.

The squad quickly turned around and began firing on the Bikes as they raced through the GDI line. John fired at one of the Bikes, but it was moving too quickly for him to hit it. He cursed as he reloaded, just as the Bike fired a rocket. It narrowly missed the Titan, streaking between its legs and exploding harmlessly nearby. However all it would take was one lucky shot on the legs to send the Titan crashing into the ground.

John aimed down his sights and found a clear shot on the Bike. He was about to pull the trigger when a clot of dirt erupted at his feet, causing him to jump. He leapt into cover and turned to face the new threat. A Cyborg was slowly advancing towards him, arm canon firing while his other arm ended in razor sharp claws. He unloaded an entire magazine into the thing's chest, but it didn't seem to do anything. In a panic he dropped his rifle and pulled out his sidearm. He tried aiming for the head, but all of his shots that didn't miss only seemed to piss it off more. His pistol clicked empty and John hastily fumbled for another magazine. The Cyborg was nearly on top of him, intent on using its claws to kill him.

Without warning, the Cyborg was blasted apart by a heavy machine gun. John whirled around to see an Aegis rolling by, its turret gunner giving him a quick thumbs up before hunting for more targets. John waved back then retrieved his weapons and made sure they were loaded. He then searched for that Attack Bike, and found it standing still as it lined up a shot on the Titan. He quickly leveled his rifle and held down on the trigger. His bullets bounced harmlessly off the armour, but a few began biting into the driver's canopy. He kept pressing down on the trigger until his rifle clicked empty again, but it did the job as he could see through the broken canopy that the driver was dead.

The other Bikes had either been destroyed or driven off, and he could see the Wolverines were mopping up the remaining Cyborgs. The sounds of rifle fire began to die down, but the pounding of tank canons was still causing the very ground the shake. John couldn't see how the tank battle was going, but judging by the number of burning Aegis' it didn't look good.

… … …

"Ballista 2 through 6, redirect fire to right flank."

"_Copy, right flank!"_

"Cataphract 3, fall back to 1's position and hold."

"_Understood! Falling back now!"_

"Mouse 1, fire support for Cataphract 3. Target enemy Rocket Buggies."

"_Affirmati__ve. Target__ enemy Rocket Buggy. Elevation 10°, right by 5°."_

"_Target acquired!"_

"_Fire!"_

McNeil watched the Titan fire its heavy canon, and witnessed it disintegrate the Nod Rocket Buggy. The other two Titans were likewise providing support to his tanks as they tried to fend off the enemy attack. He'd lost several to the surprise attack and now his front line units were feeling the losses. He gritted his teeth as he tried to micromanage the battle, moving units around in an attempt to break through.

"_Enemy tank, left 52°!"_

"_Target locked!"_

"_Fire!"_

"_No effect!"_

"_Reload and fire again!"_

"_Reload-"_

The line ended the same time McNeil saw one of his tanks explode. He quickly marked the Tick that had killed them as a priority target, and smiled when a Titan's shell turned it into a burning scrap pile.

"Sir the left flank is beginning to falter." Chandra reported.

"Who do we have to redirect to help out?"

"No one, sir. All of our units are engaged."

"Damn it!"

McNeil looked desperately at his displays, hoping to find some kind of solution. GDI armour had always been better, but Nod could produce vehicle far faster and far cheaper. He knew they could win a one on two fight, but one on five?

"Order our Titans and infantry to support the left."

"But that will leave the right flank without any support." Chandra protested.

"We have no choice. They'll just have to hold the line."

Chandra nodded his head and relayed McNeil's orders. On screen the Titans redirected their fire, focusing on the Nod tanks that threatened to break his left flank. Infantry swarmed around the Wolverines as they also moved to help bolster the left. Almost immediately Nod noticed the shift in focus and began doubling down their attack on the right, and the sudden burst of comms chatter revealed his own tanks were suffering from it.

However his forces on the left were beginning to push the enemy back. He knew that he just needed to keep putting the pressure on the enemy and they would break.

"Sir, we are getting overrun. If we keep this up our men will get wiped out. Mack are you listening to me?"

McNeil had heard Chandra, but his mind was racing as he tried to think of a way to win this fight. He had never lost, and he was not about to do so now, not this early into the war. But Chandra was right, his men were being overwhelmed. A soft musical chime from a nearby display caused McNeil to glance over, and stare in disbelief at the impossible luck. EVA had just given him am automated message, indicating the 19th Mechanized Division had just entered and engaged a Nod harvesting facility nearby.

"EVA, patch me in to whoever is in command of the 19th!"

The bridge of the Kodiak was silent for several minutes as McNeil impatiently waited for the call to connect. A women's voice eventually answered, although she seemed less than pleased.

"_What do you want McNeil?"_

McNeil inwardly groaned as he recognized the voice. He tried to cover up his annoyance before he replied.

"Commander Anvil, nice to hear from you again. Listen, I need reinforcements and I need them ASAP. Nod is hitting my tank company hard and I'm losing ground. I need reinforcements."

Anvil let out a loud sigh then went silent for two minutes. All the while McNeil watched his forces desperately trying to hold of the Nod assault. Anvil returned, her annoyed tone hadn't changed.

"_I have two dropships on route right now. Make sure you have a clear LZ for them when they get there. Anvil out."_

The line ended and McNeil let out a sigh of relief. He quickly turned back to Chandra, ready to bark out orders, but stopped at the amused look on the man's face.

"Old girlfriend of yours?"

"Cassandra Anvil and I had a…complicated relationship back when we were training. But I need you to focus. Find me somewhere for her dropships to land."

"On it sir."

"Brink, relay the information to the company commanders. Tell 'em to hold on a little bit longer."

"Understood."

"Sir, I found a suitable LZ for the dropships. Only problem is that Nod is in the way."

McNeil stepped over to Chandra and glanced over his shoulder. On screen he noted the location Chandra had marked out: a small clearing near a river just upstream from the Nod base. There was also a Nod SAM site and a small infantry unit guarding it. Not only would he need to divert troops to clear it, they would have to push through the Nod line.

"Brink, get a couple of squads loaded up. Once they're ready to move, we'll punch a hole for them. Chandra, get on the horn with those dropships and tell them we need to clear an LZ. We don't have much time."

… … …

Aim. Breathe. Pull trigger. Repeat.

John had been repeating this mantra to himself all day as the battle dragged on. The tanks continued to batter each other, turning the field into a hellish landscape from the constant explosions.

Aim. Breathe. Pull trigger. Reload.

Nod infantry had similarly been deployed to aide their armoured units, either supplemented by Attack Buggies or using the heavily armoured Reckoners as impromptu bunkers. He had lost count of how many enemy soldiers he had killed, but it was clear that despite the heavy casualties Nod was taking, GDI was still losing.

"Prevost! Toss a grenade!" West shouted over the roar of gunfire.

"Frag out!"

A loud explosion kicked up a plume of dust and rock. John spotted two Nod soldiers stumble out from the treeline they had been using for cover. He quickly hosed them down with a spray of bullets, then quickly reported the kills.

"Squad listen up! Command wants us for a special assignment. Double time back to the transports!" Xhaferi yelled from his position farther back.

John and the others ran towards the rear of the crumbling GDI line, passing burning tanks and wounded soldiers as they did. They eventually reached the rear where the AAPCs had been set up, many converted into field hospitals. John spotted Captain Mitch standing by one of the transports along with a five man squad. He quickly waved them over with one hand while the other was holding a tablet.

"Sergeant Xhaferi, I got a job for you guys. Gather round close."

The two squads huddled close together to hear the Captain as the pounding of tank guns was still deafening, even in the rear.

"Orders just came down from Command. We have reinforcements on route from the 19th. Problem is the only viable LZ is located behind the Nod lines." He indicated the location on a map on his tablet. "I need you boys to go clear out the LZ: there should only be a light patrol defending a single SAM site. Any questions?"

"Yeah, how are we getting through the Nod line?" Xhaferi asked.

"Titans will make a hole, but you'll have to be quick. Alright load up!"

The two squads quickly filed into the transport. Before they even had a chance to strap themselves in, the vehicle began moving.

"_Mustang 6-4, this is Mouse 1. Be advised we are making a hole for you now. Stand by for the greenlight, over?"_

"_Copy Mouse 1, waiting on you." _

John strapped himself into his seat, then reached into the aisle and began grabbing extra magazines from an ammunition crate that had been loaded for them. Everyone was silent as they waited for the transport to race through the battlefield. It sounded like suicide, but he had to trust Commander McNeil knew what he was doing.

"_Mustang 6-4, standby. Standby. Okay you're clear! Go go go!"_

The transport leaped forward, forcing everyone to hang on for dear life. John wasn't sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing that he couldn't see outside, but he could _hear _everything outside. Explosions were going off all around the transport, whether from hostile tanks or friendly Titans he had no idea. The gunner up top was firing non-stop, and the transport had to do several sharp turns which threw the men in the cabin around like debris in an Ion storm.

"Merciful Athena, please watch over us." Prevost quickly mumbled out.

"What the hell are you doing Achille?" West demanded.

John hadn't noticed he had found himself in the same seating arrangement from before the battle. He let out a moan as he was caught in another argument.

"Praying Tom. To the Greek goddess Athena."

"And why the fucking hell would you do that?"

"Figured if God was on Nod's side, then we needed to find someone else to pray to. Why not the old gods?"

"That's the most retarded thing I've ever heard."

"It helps man. What do you do to keep calm?"

"I'm always calm, it's in my blood. The West family has been serving GDI for forty years." West beamed proudly.

"GDI's only been around for thirty." John interjected.

"Well they served in the U.S. Army before that, but you knew what I meant."

The transport suddenly lurched heavily to one side, threatening to tip over. However the driver managed to correct them as the vehicle slammed back down. John looked over to see West had gone completely white and he couldn't help but laugh.

"Nothing ever gets to you, eh Corporal?"

"Okay so I'm scared, who isn't?"

"Just think about something nice. You know, take your mind off the fact we are literally racing through a line of hostile tanks." Prevost said with a wide smirk.

"Okay. Uhm…apple pie."

"Apple pie?" John and Prevost asked in unison.

"Yeah, mom used to make apple pie all the time. Great grandma's recipe. Obviously she had to replace it with synth apple flavour, but still tasted great." West's mood seemed to have improved as he sat up straighter. "She used to spend hours in the kitchen with my sisters. We had a big family, lots of cousins. She would sing while she bake; she seemed so happy, pretending the world outside wasn't dying. To her, she had a slice of the American dream right at home."

"My dads used to bake a lot too. I'd help out as kid, always eat the batter."

Prevost laughed to himself, and even West gave a warm smile. John was happy to see the two bonding in such a stressful time, it almost made him jealous of the idyllic family life.

"What about you John?" Prevost asked.

"Mom never did much baking. But she was a mean cook; my brother and I loved it when she made real burgers."

"Guess having a famous dad pays off huh?" West said a bit indignantly.

"Not that he was ever home. Even retired, he ended up working as a military liaison for the Pentagon. Always off seeing to the construction of new bases. Sometimes we'd get to go with him, like the time we went to Fort Weisswolf in Germany, or Southern Cross."

John trailed off as memories flooded before him. He and his brother would often get into trouble as they ran around military bases, trying to keep themselves entertained while their father worked. John broke his train of thought as he noticed things had grown calm. The transport was no longer rocking from side to side, and the gunner up top had grown silent. As if to answer John's unasked question, Xhaferi stood up to address the troops.

"We made it through; Nod must've been shitting their pants! We got about two mikes before we reach the target area . Get ready to deploy!"

The friendly conversation ended as John, Prevost, and West all readied themselves to quickly disembark from the transport. Xhaferi and the other squad leader both stood, and the others quickly followed suit. After a moment, the gunner opened fire again and the transport came to a halt.

"Everyone out!" Xhaferi bellowed.

The ramp lowered and the GDI soldiers leaped out just as bullets whizzed past. John rounded the AAPC and quickly snapped up his rifle. Ahead of them in the clearing was the SAM site guarded by a squad of Nod infantry, as well as a Technical. John tried to fire on the gunner but his bullets missed. Instead he refocused to a soldier armed with an LMG.

Aim. Breathe. Pull the trigger. Repeat.

John's burst caught the soldier in the chest, sending him backwards as his gun clattered to the ground. Beside John, Xhaferi was firing his DMR, attempting to take out the Technical gunner. His heavy rounds punctured through the gunner's helmet and caused his head to snap back violently. With the largest threat dealt with, the GDI soldiers surged forward and quickly disposed of the enemy. However, John managed to glance over at the right moment, and he spotted a Nod soldier hiding behind a bush, attempting to call for back up on his radio. John quickly fired a burst that killed the enemy soldier. He quickly ran over to check to see if he had gotten the message out, but as far as John could tell, he hadn't.

He turned to see two soldiers from the other squad were busy setting up blocks of C-4 around the SAM. They quickly ran back to the AAPC then shouted out,

"FIRE IN THE HOLE!"

They detonated the charges, and the AA turret exploded in a blinding fireball. The men gave out a hearty cheer as Xhaferi walked over and placed a metallic beacon into the ground.

"Captain, do you read? SAM has been neutralized and the beacon is active. Tell those boys from the 19th they are clear to land." Xhaferi said triumphantly.

John didn't hear the reply as he and Prevost moved off to set up a defensive perimeter around the LZ. In the distance he could see the flashes from the battle still ongoing. He hoped they wouldn't be too late to save the mission.

"Hey John?" Prevost suddenly asked.

"Yeah man?"

"Was your dad really that bad? I mean, I read all about him in history class. He seemed like such a cool guy."

John was silent for a moment, as honestly he still wondered the same thing. After a moment he manage to form a reply.

"Maybe at one time he was. Before he got his leg blown off. Maybe before my mom died."

"Ah shit man, I'm sorry. If I'd known I wouldn't have brought it up."

"No it's cool. It happened a long time ago. She got Tib' poisoning, it was hard for all of us, and I guess, especially for him."

"Yeah, I guess my biological parents died from Tib' poisoning too. Never knew them, but I guess they were caught up in the Ion storm of '19."

John shifted on his feet. That was the same storm that got his mother sick. A rather deadly storm had spread out from the contaminated American Midwest, spreading over a dozen cities. Having to watch his mother waste away as the Tiberium ate away at her flesh had been the most difficult thing in his life. That was the only time in nineteen years he had ever seen his father cry.

They both looked up at the sound of jet engines approaching. Coming down fast were two massive GDI dropships, their frames eclipsing the sun as they descended. Before they even touched the ground, their large bay doors began to open, revealing a yawning chasm beyond. John couldn't help but stare and watch as the behemoth transports landed and unloaded their cargo. Five Aegis tanks and two Titans disembarked out of both dropships and quickly began moving towards the fighting. A smile crept across his face as he was invigorated with new hope.

"Come on people, let's mount up and get back in this fight!" Xhaferi shouted.

John and Prevost both jogged back to the AAPC just as the dropships lifted off again.

… … …

The Nod tanks were poised to move in for the final push, the one that would break the GDI line. The 22nd's armoured company had suffered heavy losses, down to nearly half strength and only two Titans. They all knew they could not withstand this next assault, yet Commander McNeil insisted they hold, and so hold they would.

Just as the enemy Ticks began to move in, explosions began going off behind the Nod lines. Suddenly, the enemy turned around frantically to face a new threat, which gave the GDI forces the courage to strike out. The Nod tanks were caught in a deadly pincer, with GDI attacking from both in front and behind. McNeil smiled as he watched the enemy be overwhelmed and noted their numbers dropping like a brick. The Nod forces finally broke and attempted to flee, but they were torn down relentlessly by his own haggard forces. After several excruciating hours of non-stop fighting, the battle was over.

He knew his men were beaten and worn. But now with help from elements of the 19th Mechanized Division, he knew there was nothing left in their way. His forces rolled through the battlefield, littered with dozens of burning tank hulls. His infantry and light vehicles followed behind as they rolled up on the Nod base.

Laser turrets fired at his approaching armour, but were promptly destroyed by his Titans. The base couldn't withstand the firepower of the GDI tanks. Power plants went up in flames, Hands of Nod were utterly destroyed, and the sole Tiberium refinery collapsed from a fusillade of tank shells. It felt like it had only taken minutes when compared to the battle that had raged on earlier, but it had taken nearly two hours to finally clear the base.

He then ordered his infantry along with the Wolverines to move in and secure the main objective. The train station was only lightly guarded by infantry and light vehicles. He noticed the Nod soldiers were desperately trying to get the train moving, but failed as a four man squad stormed into the locomotive. Satisfied the battle was now over, McNeil broke his gaze from the display and turned to Brink.

"Lieutenant, I want you to take an engineering team down to the station. See if you can find anything for InOps."

"Yes sir." Brink left her station and quickly left the bridge.

Chandra turned to face McNeil, a wide smile on his face.

"You did it Mack. Somehow you managed to pull this off."

"Yeah but not without help. Cassandra will never let me live this down."

"Maybe you can tell me that story later. I'll relay the good news to General Solomon."

McNeil gave his friend a pat on the shoulder. He slumped down into his chair, and felt like he could pass out right there and then.

… … …

**Author's note:** **The Aegis tank was meant to be the MBT for the EU faction in the canceled C&C Generals 2. I decided to use it for a few reasons, mainly to serve as a link between the Abrams and Crusader from Part 1, and the Predator from Tiberium Wars. **

**Another reason is because of the debate in regards to if mechanized walking tanks, like the Titan, would actually be feasible. So I thought why not use the Aegis as an MBT, and use the Titan as a support unit/ tank hunter. **

**That's it for now.**

**Until next time.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

_Your name is unknown. Your deed is immortal.  
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier._

**Houston, Texas**

**September 15****th****, 2030**

**0500**

Four Titans stomped down the deserted streets of the city limits. Their heavy footsteps echoed off desolate skyscrapers and half crumbled buildings. They slowly marched towards a large GDI base, built amongst the ruins. The soft, baleful glow of a Tiberium field gave the pale morning light a sickly atmosphere over the gathering forces. The base was a sprawling collection of barracks, refineries, warfactories, and other facilities needed to house both the 22nd Airborne and the 19th Mechanized Divisions. Both units had gathered to discover what Nod was hiding, but even with two divisions, it would not be an easy fight.

To make matters worse, the threat of an imminent Ion storm had grounded the Kodiak, limiting their sight of the battlefield and forcing McNeil to move his HQ to the ground. Both Divisions had set up their HQs inside an old office building. McNeil and his staff worked alongside Commander Anvil and her staff inside the upper offices, and she could not have looked more pissed.

The idea of having to relegate command to him did not sit well with her. While they technically were the same rank, Solomon had granted McNeil greater authority. The thought of waving that in Anvil's face had crossed his mind, but he decided being respectful was the better tactic.

"Without the Kodiak, we weren't able to get a clear view of what Nod is protecting. But according to survivors of the local garrison, something _big_ crashed down here awhile back." Chandra reported.

They were all gathered around a large table set up in the middle of the makeshift command post. It was abnormally loud as the staff worked to prepare for the storm that would wreak havoc with their systems. McNeil tried to drown it out as he focused on the briefing.

"We will have to do it the old fashioned way: send out some scouts. Our preliminary reconnaissance did discover a massive base located on top of a bluff, here. The train bridge is well defended by laser turrets, so no going in that way. Also, the only entrance into the base is via the crash site, which Nod has heavily guarded. There's also a smaller auxiliary base guarding the site that we will have to go through. Fact is, Nod has this place locked down tight." Anvil stated with a huff.

"What do you suggest we do? Our air support is limited, and Nod is going to be ready for us." McNeil asked.

"We blitzkrieg 'em. Go in fast and hard. Aegis tanks and mechanized infantry push right into the base, while our Wolverines bring the Titans up the rear."

"You want to send our infantry in with no mech support?"

"We will have to, unless you want to leave our walkers without support? The footsloggers will be fine; they're the best and fiercest GDI has to offer."

Anvil shot him a look that dared him to argue her plan. And as much as he wanted to, it was the same one he had come up with. He just smiled back and pulled his leather jacket tighter.

"No you're right, it's a good plan. My only concern will be trying to hold the crash site while we still have that base to deal with."

Anvil gave a genuine smile But she hid it well, and McNeil could see her turning back to the map.

"We'll let the engineers move up and start securing the area. Besides, we have those InOps spooks breathing down our necks: let them secure whatever the hell is there." Anvil said while jerking her head in the direction of two men.

They both wore the drab grey uniforms of intelligence agents, and were huddled in the corner talking amongst themselves. McNeil just sneered at the man with major's pins. The arrogant prick, Volkov, had walked in like he owned the place and tried giving them orders. Anvil had been quick to put him in his place.

"Alright, that's the plan then. Any questions?" McNeil asked.

No one said anything. He gave a cocky grin and said, "Let's get this party started. Don't want to keep Nod waiting."

The officers then turned to discussing the finer details of the plan. There was still a lot left to do before they would be ready for the attack. And McNeil had a feeling that it was going to be a very long day.

"Commander?"

A very, very long day.

"Yes, Major Volkov?" McNeil replied with barely contained contempt.

The man bristled at McNeil's tone and puffed out his chest more. The man clearly did not like being talked down to by lowly _peasants _such as McNeil or Anvil. Why Solomon had sent the man down from the _Philadelphia _to grace their presence was beyond him.

"I understand that planning for an operation such as this is a delicate procedure. However I must stress that time is of the essence. We must reach that crash site as soon as we can."

"As Commander Anvil told you earlier, we are working as fast as we can. But I'm not about to throw lives away so you can dig through whatever it is Nod is protecting. We do this our way, not InOps'."

"Yes, but…very well Commander McNeil. I will go assemble my team and await your word. Please inform me as soon as there is an opening in the enemies' defences. My team and I can handle the rest."

"Right. Brink! Get over here."

Lieutenant Brink jogged over from her station near the window. She gave a sharp salute to McNeil, and a barely concealed snarl towards Volkov.

"Sir?"

"Go with the Major here. Act as liaison between his team and HQ. I'll have Chandra relay things to you as they progress."

"Yes sir!"

"Thank you Commander. Lieutenant Brink was it? Come along, I have to get my team ready."

Volkov quickly made his way out of the HQ, with Brink following reluctantly behind. McNeil shook his head before sharing a look with Chandra. They both chuckled at Brink's misfortune, but grew somber again as they turned back to the strategic planning.

However a bright flash from outside distracted McNeil. He looked outside to see black storm clouds rolling towards them.

Two storms were now about to unleash their destructive fury. He only hoped they survived both.

… … …

**1100**

John sat on the lowered ramp of an AAPC, willing his suit to keep out the biting wind. Despite being built to endure in any climate, it couldn't keep up with the ferocious winds being kicked up by the impending storm. He was all too familiar with Ion storms: lightning powerful enough to blast apart buildings, winds strong enough to flay the skin off a man, and tiny Tiberium shards flying around at dizzying speeds. It was hell, and they were going to get caught in it while in the middle of a battle. Worse, these storms caused certain electronics to go haywire. A major problem for a modern army.

Tom West came out from the troop cabin, his helmet off as he smoked a cigar. He stared out at the storm and let out a large puff of smoke.

"How yah doing Lanny?" He asked without looking down.

"You ever going to stop calling me that?" John asked.

"Did you know that my great uncle was a tank commander back in Tib War One? Served in the 7th Infantry Division under your father. My other uncle also served with the 7th during Operation Finale Justice. They both went on about how great your dad was. We West's have a great admiration for him. But you? You haven't earned that yet. So no, you can keep being Lanny."

John was silent for a moment. There was no bitterness in West's words, just a hard truth.

"You know what Corporal? I can respect that."

That seemed to have earned a small smile from the man as he took another pull from his cigar.

"You're alright Lanny. Say, where's Prevost?"

"At a prayer circle."

"You fucking serious?"

"Yup. Guess that New Pantheonthing is really taking off."

"Jesus fucking Christ. What has this world come too?"

Before John could reply, Sergeant Xhaferi came walking towards them, followed by soldiers from another squad.

"Looks like were about to roll out." West said as he flicked the stub of his cigar away.

"Tom, go round up Achille." Xhaferi ordered.

"Sure thing Val."

West trudged off back through the base, while John followed Xhaferi and the others inside the AAPC. He took a seat and strapped himself in, waiting for the order to roll out. After a few minutes, West returned with Prevost in tow. Both men took up their usual spots on opposite sides of John, and strapped themselves in. The ramp closed and the AAPC roared to life, sending a jolt of adrenaline down John's spine.

Sergeant Xhaferi stood up to address the anxious soldiers, his voice calm and sturdy. "Okay ladies, listen up! Here's the plan, right from Commander McNeil himself. We go in, kick Nod's ass, we go home."

The men gave a hearty chuckle and Xhaferi smiled with pride at his men. The smile faded quickly though as his tone became more serious.

"No, our real plan is a full on blitz. We are racing into the enemy, guns blazing. I'm not going to lie, we are jumping right into hell on this one. We support our tanks and push in fast and hard. And if we stick together, we will get through this. Hoo-rah?"

"Hoo-rah!" Everyone shouted in unison.

Xhaferi nodded approvingly, then sat down as the transport began moving. It quickly joined the convoy of Aegis', AAPCs, and M113s as they sped across the desolate fields outside the city. As the assault force left the GDI base, a column of Titans and Wolverines began to follow up behind, albeit at a much slower pace.

The GDI forces kicked up a wall of dust in their wake as they sped towards the enemy base. Nod forces immediately spotted their approach, and rushed to man the defensive walls or the trenches. However the GDI force struck before they could fully prepare. Aegis' fired volley after volley on the outer defences, punching holes through the walls or destroying laser turrets. The APCs opened fire with their mounted machine guns, ripping into the trenches.

The Nod defenders were struggling to hold off the attack, but they quickly began to rally. Several laser turrets that still stood began turning GDI tanks into slag. Rocket infantry finally finished deploying and destroyed several APCs, along with the soldiers inside them. However despite these losses, GDI managed to break through and found themselves inside the small base.

The base was comprised of a single war factory and three Hands of Nod. But the bulk of the compound was made of power plants, refineries, and storehouses. But GDI also found themselves face to face with Tick tanks and Flame tanks. The vanguard of the attack were quickly destroyed as the Tick's deployed into their turret configuration, while the Flame tanks set the lead APCs ablaze, and cooked the men inside alive.

John tried to keep calm as the transport jostled and bounced around. Explosions were going off, far too close for his liking, and the gunner up top had never stopped firing. The transport jolted abruptly, then swerved hard to the left. If it hadn't been for the restraints, the soldiers would have been sent flying. The gunner stop shooting an instant before the AAPC crashed. John let out a loud grunt of pain as he was thrown against his restraint. The other soldiers likewise groaned, but Sergeant Xhaferi was already on his feet and shouting orders.

"Everyone out! Go!"

The ramp lowered and the sounds of tanks firing and explosions assaulted their ears. The soldiers quickly leaped out from the transport, and John noticed why when it was his turn to exit. The AAPC had crashed into a foxhole, the entire front end dug into the ground. John noticed the gunner hanging limply over his gun, his neck hanging at an angle not normally possible. The transport immediately came under fire, and a soldier in front of John collapsed like a sack of bricks. He grabbed the wounded man and dragged him into the foxhole, under the transport. But by the time he got him to safety, the man was already dead.

John cursed as more GDI soldiers jumped into the foxhole. He leaned around one of the tires and fired a prolonged burst towards the Nod soldiers advancing towards them. Xhaferi's DMR began barking out rounds, and John could see several Nod soldiers fall to the ground with large holes in their chests. All around them GDI soldiers had deployed from their APCs and were now occupying the Nod trenches. The tanks had halted their blitz and were now stuck in a slug fest with the enemy Ticks. The situation was quickly turning into a cluster fuck as GDI was getting bogged down.

John spotted more Nod forces arriving from the crash site: scores of infantry augmented by Cyborgs. He shifted his aim towards the newcomers quickly warning the others. West and Prevost laid down a wall of suppressive fire that sent the Nod troops diving for cover, but the Cyborgs proceeded unhindered.

"Sergeant O'Leary! Enemy Cyborgs coming in from the right flank; requesting support!" Xhaferi shouted into his radio.

"_Copy that! Target, Nod Cyborgs, 45° west, 12° down!" _

"_Target acquired!"_

"_Fire!"_

An Aegis tank fired a shell towards the advancing machines. The explosion sent them flying through the air in a mess of metal and flesh. However, much to everyone's horror, a few managed to survive and kept moving, despite missing arms or legs. One such cyborg was even clawing its way forward, missing the entire lower half of its body. Sergeant O'Leary's tank began pelting the area with its coaxial gun, shredding the Cyborgs apart.

"Thanks O'Leary!"

"_Let me know when I need to save your ass again!" _

The tank moved forward, and Xhaferi climbed out of the foxhole, shouting back to his men. "Forward advance! For GDI!"

The men charged from the foxhole and stormed towards the Nod infantry. They had remained in cover upon seeing the destruction of their Cyborgs, and now were caught off guard by the sudden charge.

John spotted a machine gun team desperately trying to deploy their weapon. He dropped to one knee and brought up his weapon, firing a burst meant to drive them into cover. Prevost came up beside him and took more precise shots, managing to blow the arm off of the main operator. Meanwhile, Xhaferi led the others and leapt over the enemies' cover, getting in close for a viscous melee.

The Nod soldiers were cut down from close range, and a few threw down their weapons and surrendered. John took a moment and looked back to see the GDI tanks were losing ground, and other groups of infantry were still pinned down by their APCs.

Sergeant Xhaferi rallied the men back around him.

"Captain Mitch has ordered all infantry to push towards the crash site! Let's hustle!"

"But Sergeant, what about our tanks?" A soldier asked.

"They'll catch up. We got our orders, so-"

Sergeant Xhaferi was cut off as a Guardian APC came barreling towards them. Men scattered out of the way of the six wheeled transport as it careened past them and drove towards the crash site. The men were left dazed for a moment, before Xhaferi once again rallied their attention.

"Come on people, move it! Double time!"

"Fucking InOps spooks." West spat from beside John.

John didn't reply as he started jogging with the others towards the entrance to the crash site, the Guardian APC now long out of sight. More soldiers were moving towards the entrance as well, led by Captain Mitch. John could start to see the outlines of the impact crater, when the ground abruptly erupted in front of him. He nearly fell backwards as he skidded to a stop, but he merely gaped in horror at what emerged from the ground. It was every infantryman's worse nightmare, a Nod-

"FLAME TANK!"

"FUCKING RUN!"

The GDI soldiers scattered as the Flame tank completely emerged from below ground. Hellish flames spewed forth from its nozzles, and men screamed in horrible agony. John, West, and Prevost all began running back towards their downed transport, having lost sight of Xhaferi. The Flame tank was giving chase after them, and John heard more men screaming as they were consumed in flames. Prevost suddenly tripped and fell to the ground, John turned only to find the tank heading straight for him.

"John help me! Oh Hera! Please John!"

John turned and ran back for his friend. He quickly pulled him to his feet, but it was too late. The tank was practically right on top of them, its flame throwers ready to cook them alive. Without warning, the tank suddenly exploded in a bright flash, and John threw himself over Prevost as flames and shrapnel rained over them. It thankfully wasn't anywhere as severe as it would have been if the tank fired at them, but it still caused his suit's systems to go haywire. After the heat washed away, John looked up to see four Titans stomping into the base, their heavy canons easily destroying any Nod tank or structure. More Titans and Wolverines rushed into the base, allowing the GDI forces to regain the upper hand.

John felt like cheering, but he was stopped as Captain Mitch's voice boomed over the radio.

"_Alpha Company on me!" _

West rejoined John and Prevost, and the three of them ran to join up with the others. They raced by the burnt remains of their comrades, and it took everything in John's power not to vomit. He began to panic, worrying that one of these blackened corpses was Sergeant Xhaferi, but his fears were laid to rest when he spotted him next to a group of medics. The medics were tending to the wounded who had managed to avoid the worst of the flames, but they were still severely burned and most were screaming in agony.

A relieved look passed over Xhaferi's face when he spotted his squad, and he left the medics to run over to them.

"Glad to see you guys are okay." He said paternally.

"A little singed Val, but otherwise green." West replied.

"Good. Come on, we're getting left behind."

The four men jogged to join the rest of the company as they moved into the crash site. Three Wolverines quickly caught up, bearing the symbol of Warren's Wolverines. John felt more confident now they had walker support, as they left the Titans and tanks to finish off the base. After witnessing a Flame tank burst from the ground in front of him, he felt like he was ready for anything.

Oh how wrong he was when he laid eyes on that…_thing._

… … …

A Titan fired a tank shell into a power plant, causing it to explode in a shower of flames and sparks. Nod forces were pushed up against the cliff wall, and with nowhere to run, many surrendered, but a few still put up a stiff resistance. McNeil couldn't contain his smile as he watched a group of Aegis tanks pummel a Hand of Nod, causing it to collapse in on itself. The auxiliary base was taken, and the first step of the battle was won, but it was close. Their blitzkrieg attack had nearly failed, had the Titans not shown up when they did.

Anvil's engineers began bringing up the rear, moving to secure the base while the rest of McNeil's forces made preparations to capture the crash site. M113s, Guardian APCs and a host of HEMTTs and construction vehicles rolled out from the staging ground. McNeil just hoped it would be enough to secure whatever it was Nod was protecting. He had no doubt that Vega would throw everything he had at them to take it back.

"Sir, Captain Mitch reports that Alpha Company is moving on the crash site now." Chandra reported.

"Good, get Charlie Company to move up and support them."

"Yes sir."

"We should move our armoured units forward, assault the primary Nod base." Anvil said from her position opposite of McNeil.

"The enemy will be ready for us this time. We should rethink our strategy."

"Agreed. I say this time we let the Titans lead; they can lay down support while our tanks move up. Gods what I'd give for some M270s or some Juggernauts."

"Doesn't the 19th have any?"

"We do, but they got grounded when the Ion storm rolled in. Dropships had to deploy them farther back, so it'll be a few hours before they show up."

"Damn. Alright, we do it your way, let the Titans lead the-"

"Sir! Emergency transmission from Lieutenant Brink!"

McNeil was at Chandra' station before he had even finished. A grainy video feed slowly came in, and Brink stood in the centre. Immediately McNeil noticed the GDI Rangers huddled by a ruined Guardian, before he noticed…

"_Sir we are pinned down at the crash site! We need immediate back up!"_

"Just hang on Lieutenant! Reinforcement are on their way."

Brink nodded, then ducked as an explosion went off nearby. She turned back to the camera, fear evident on her face.

"_Sir…whatever the hell this thing is…it doesn't look human. And it's easily the size of the Kodiak."_

Another explosion followed by more gunfire cut her off. McNeil clenched his fists, angry that Volkov would rush in like that.

"Just hang on Brink. We're coming."

She nodded and the transmission ended. McNeil turned to Chandra but he was already calling for Alpha Company to hurry. McNeil just turned back to Anvil who gave him a concerned look.

"What does she mean, 'not human'?"

"I…I don't know. We better hurry."

"Mack, I've got a visual from Colonel Warren. It's a bit spotty due to the incoming storm, but it's something." Chandra said as he played the feed from the main terminal.

Everyone turned to watch the live feed from the Wolverine commander. Directly in front of him were the men of Alpha, moving quickly towards the downed APC. However, dominating the entire foreground was the _ship_. It was massive, and covered in strange, purple armour. The design looked almost like a large insect. However, despite how alien it looked, it was clearly man made. As McNeil looked closer, he could see oddities in the design: pieces not fitting seamlessly, engines and gun batteries that clashed with the purple, insectoid design. It was obvious they needed to stop Nod from repairing the ship, and he could just image Volkov creaming his pants at the thought of getting inside.

"Merciful gods." Anvil whispered.

"Sir, Fox Company just reported enemy armour moving into the crater."

"Cassandra, I need you to move your tanks to intercept. Let my infantry secure the ship."

"R-right. Lieutenant Chandra, relay orders to Fox, Wolf, and Ocelot Companies."

"Understood Commanders."

McNeil returned his attention to the video feed. The infantry had engaged with the line of Nod forces keeping Volkov and his Rangers suppressed. The GDI riflemen quickly cut into the Nod soldiers, sweeping from behind while the Rangers took advantage of the break and returned fire from their position. Warren's Wolverines opened up with their heavy guns and cut down a platoon of reinforcements like a scythe through wheat. In the distance he spotted Anvil's tanks clashing with Nod Tick and Scorpion tanks. All the while the strange ship loomed over the battle. The thing gave him the creeps, and he wished he could have just blasted the thing with an Ion cannon and call it a day.

"What the hell is that bastard doing?"

McNeil tore his gaze from the ship at Anvil's outburst. He then noticed what she was talking about as Major Volkov and his men broke from the APC and moved towards the ship.

"Damn it! Chandra, get the Major on the radio."

"Working on it."

McNeil watched with growing dread as the Rangers entered into the ship. The GDI soldiers managed to wipe out the Nod forces, and now turned to clearing out the small outpost built around the ship. Meanwhile, the other armoured elements joined the tank melee. The Titans began firing over the Aegis', while more Ticks and Scorpions poured in from the main Nod base.

"Sir!"

McNeil returned to Chandra's station and grabbed the radio. Before he could yell into it, Volkov's voice crackled through.

"_McNeil where the hell is my backup!?"_

"Outside where you left them moron! What the hell are you doing?"

"_You'__ve seen this thing, haven't you? Who knows what Nod has inside? I need to secure it; it could win us the war!"_

"Damn it, you arrogant bastard. Hold your position. Don't rush in like a fool."

"_I have my orders Commander!" _

The line went dead, and McNeil let out a string of curses.

"Get the engineers over there ASAP. We need to secure that ship, and pull Volkov's ass out of there before he gets himself killed."

"You got it sir."

"McNeil, we have to start pushing into that base." Anvil warned.

"Damn it. Yeah, okay. Pull Alpha Company and Warren's Wolverines back. Get them to support the tanks while they push up. Redirect the Titans to focus on enemy static defences."

A chorus of affirmatives went up as his officers relayed orders. The video feed from Colonel Warren split in two, as they now had a feed from a Titan commanded by a Sergeant Crane. Her Titan moved past three burning Scorpions and positioned itself to fire on two laser turrets guarding the pass up into the base. Aegis' and Guardian APCs moved passed the Titan's legs and pushed up the hill, with infantry following behind. He knew it was going to be a hell of a fight.

"Sir, engineers report they have begun setting up a defensive perimeter around the ship. I also have a Lieutenant Kururigi stating that he has taken a squad in after Major Volkov." Chandra reported.

"Good. Tell him to find the Major and stay put. I don't want anyone rummaging through that ship until we have it secured."

"Understood sir."

A bright flash from outside momentarily caught everyone off guard. A loud boom followed and McNeil looked outside to see that the Ion storm had finally hit. High winds and destructive lightning bolts were now assaulting the base. Heavy metal shutters quickly covered the windows, preventing the harsh winds from breaking through. The air in the room grew more tense as people now worked with the pounding of the storm outside.

McNeil tried to ignore it, but the visual feeds grew more choppy. He quickly issued out a few more orders in case he lost communications with his forces, then sat back and watched the battle unfold.

… … …

**1400**

"Mommy! Mommy where are you? Mommy!"

"Damn it kid hold still!"

John fired a burst at a Nod machine gunner, but he managed to duck back behind the sandbag barricade. John cursed as he slumped down behind the remains of a Tunguska. The young soldier beside him continued to scream while the medic worked on his ruined leg.

"Mommy where are you!?"

"Damn kid, just shut up!"

"Isn't there something you can give him?" West asked angrily from the other side of the SPAAG.

"He's already full of morphine. Anymore and it'd kill him." The medic screamed back.

"Hey Private Giovani, Max, you'll be okay. You hear me? You're gonna be okay." John said as soothingly as he could.

"Mommy? Is that you?" Giovani asked through heavy sobs.

"Yeah, yeah it's me. You'll be okay, you just need to calm down."

"I'm sorry momma. I'm sorry."

"Hey, there's nothing to be sorry about. I'm proud of you Max."

"You are? Thanks momma."

Giovani finally stopped screaming, and the medic was able to finish patching his leg. She then motioned for two other soldiers to help move him to the rear.

"Nice thinking kid." She said before she ran off to somewhere else in the battlefield.

"Not bad Lanny. Maybe I should call you Momma Johnny!" West chuckled to himself.

"Screw you West." John replied back with a smirk.

They both stood and fired again on the machine gunner, but once more their bullets failed to do any damage. Xhaferi came running over along with Prevost and a grenadier. They quickly got into cover behind the Tunguska.

"Brought a friend. Private Shaw here can help us with that fucking gunner."

The young private emphasised Xhaferi's remark by lifting up his grenade launcher. Before anyone could make any introductions, they all turned as a trio of rockets raced over the Tunguska. They all impacted into a Titan, causing chunks of armour plating to fall the ground and causing its ammunition to prematurely detonate, blowing the cannon clean off and causing the walker to collapse. The crash sent shockwaves through the ground, and John nearly lost his balance.

The GDI push into the main base had gone well at first, until Nod quite literally threw everything they had at them. Ticks, Scorpions, Flame tanks, Buggies and Bikes, as well as Rocket Buggies. The armoured columns had suffered heavy losses, but they still pushed on regardless. It had allowed the infantry to push deeper, but only for them to be bogged down by the base's garrison.

"We gotta keep moving. Private Shaw, take out that machine gun nest, we'll cover!" Xhaferi roared.

Private Shaw merely nodded and readied himself. John made sure he had a fresh magazine before he stood with the others. He fired prolonged but tight bursts towards the sandbag barricade, trying to hit weak points and hopefully hit the crew behind. It was ultimately unnecessary though, as Shaw fired two grenades into the barricade. It exploded with a brilliant flash, and the gunner crew beyond was left in several mangled pieces.

There was no time to celebrate though as Sergeant Xhaferi pushed the squad forward. They raced across the base towards a pillbox where enemy mortars were firing non-stop. They took cover by a series of shipping containers, close enough to the pillbox that they could hear the constant _thwomping _of the mortars.

John peered around with Xhaferi to get a view on the pillbox. It was opened on the top to allow the mortars to fire, forming a concrete ring filled with machine guns and man-operated laser guns. The pillbox was firing on another squad attempting to assault it with the assistance of a Wolverine. However the lasers punctured through the Wolverine's armour and caused it to explode. The infantry began to retreat, but were cut down by machine gun and laser fire.

"How do you want to do this Val?" West asked as they both crouched back down.

"Don't think grenades will be enough. John did you see where the door was?"

"Yeah I did. Straight ahead and about five feet to the left. There's a small blind spot there, but not enough to cover our approach."

"Shaw, you have any smoke canisters?"

"Yes Sergeant."

"Good, load 'em up. West, take Lancaster and Prevost with you and take the bunker. I'll stay here with Shaw and provide cover."

"Lucky you. Okay boys let's get ready to run!" West said with mock enthusiasm.

Shaw quickly loaded two smoke canisters into his grenade launcher. Then on Xhaferi's order, he fired them towards the pillbox. Thick grey smoke began billowing out, and almost instantly the area was saturated with bullets and laser bolts. They waited several moments for the fire to die down, then Xhaferi gave the order. John along with West and Prevost bolted from cover and rushed into the smoke, dodging the odd laser or burst of bullets. They managed to make it to the door without a scratch and as the smoke began to clear, Xhaferi's DMR began cracking.

"Prevost, open it!" West shouted.

Prevost slowly turned the hatch and opened the door. John followed him in and brought his weapon up to his shoulder. The pillbox wrapped around in a single, continuous hallway. West took point and led them down the right path, and immediately came into view of three Nod soldiers. They were operating a laser gun and seemed to be firing on Xhaferi's position. West pulled the trigger and cut down the three men, then ordered Prevost to take point. They kept pushing forward, trading places as they moved. They took out roughly fifteen Nod soldiers operating the pillbox, before they called Xhaferi and Shaw over to them. They all came to a large door that led to the open aired centre, where three mortars were firing. They burst into the mortar den and quickly cut down the mortar crews. The silence of the guns was a welcome reprieve from the constant sounds of battle.

"Captain Mitch? Mortars silenced, you can move forward…Suggest you get a team over here to secure the mortars sir...Wilco. Okay boys, new objective. There's a research facility located in the middle of base. Command wants it secured. We're going to meet up with a platoon from the 19th and take the facility."

"How come we always get the fun jobs?" Prevost moaned.

"Why don't you ask your bullshit gods or whatever the fuck you pray to?" West asked venomously.

"Fuck off West!"

"Shut it! Both of you. Come on, war ain't gonna win itself with you guys bitching."

The squad left the pillbox just as several GDI squads arrived to take control. As they moved through the base to the designated rendezvous, the mortar guns started up again, only now they were aimed at the Brotherhood. They moved at a crouch as the battle raged on around them, and several times they had to pass behind squads that were engaged in heavy fighting against Nod defenders. Eventually they came upon a ruined Reckoner APC, where a platoon of infantry from the 19th were gathered. Sergeant Xhaferi moved towards a woman with 1st lieutenant's bars.

"Sergeant Valdrin Xhaferi?" She asked.

"Yes ma'am, we're here to assist with taking the research facility."

"Good, I'm Emily Griffin, and this here is 1st Platoon. Everyone huddle up!"

The men from 1st Platoon along with Xhaferi's squad gathered around Lieutenant Griffin as she laid out her plan.

"Command wants the research lab secured, in case Nod moved anything valuable from the ship there. Now this is where the paratroopers come in: they will take the tunnels into the facility while we assault the front. Questions?"

"Yes, where will we enter the tunnels from?" Xhaferi asked.

"You see that Flame tank? Bastard tried bursting up on us earlier, Titan shot fried that bastard. But it left a very convenient door for us. I want a team to sneak up, that way you should be able catch the enemy with their pants down."

"Understood."

"Keep in radio contact. My guys! Forward! Advance!"

Griffin led her platoon towards the research facility, moving into cover as they engaged with Nod forces defending the entrance. Xhaferi quickly led the squad to the aforementioned Flame tank, sitting half out of the ground. Xhaferi led them down into the tunnel passed the jagged remains of the tank, smoke still billowing out of various holes. John stopped for a moment to watch Griffin's platoon: they were already pinned down by machine guns positioned around the entrance. He knew she could break through, but it would go a lot smoother if they could sneak up from below. John quickly moved down the hole into the tunnel, and followed behind his squad.

The tunnels snaked and turned in multiple directions, and were littered with abandoned digging equipment and pallets of empty boxes. Xhaferi seemed to know his way, so the squad followed in silence, checking every corner for movement. The grenadier, Shaw, fell in beside John as they walked.

"Hey, are you Mark Lancaster's son?" He asked in a whisper.

"Uh, yeah, I am." John replied a bit hesitantly.

"Cool, I'm Carl Shaw by the way. I'm with 5th Platoon, but my squad got split up to be attached with different rifle squads."

"Glad to have you with us. You're pretty good with that thing." John replied sincerely.

"Yah think so? Thanks man! Wow, wait till the guys hear I met Mark Lancaster's son!"

"Oh for fucks sake! He ain't some celebrity yah know?" West seethed from further up.

"Oh, sorry Corporal."

"Don't pay West any mind. He's just a salty bastard."

"Fuck off Lanny."

"Everyone hush up! We're almost there." Xhaferi warned.

Sure enough John could hear muffle gunfire coming from above. He guessed they must have been directly under the fighting now. Ahead of them was a large door decorated with the Nod sigil. It was unguarded, which seemed strange, but regardless they all stacked up on either side. The door was sealed by a keypad, so Prevost carefully placed blocks of thermite charges along the hinges.

"Fire in the hole!"

The thermite began burning white hot and quickly melted through the door, causing it fall with a loud crash that echoed through the tunnel.

"Quickly! Go go!"

They rushed through the door and found themselves in another hall that ended with an elevator. They ran down and piled up into the elevator, where Xhaferi selected the next level up. They got into firing positions, with Shaw now armed with a sub machine gun, and got ready to come under immediate fire. But when the doors opened, all they found were very startled technicians. The GDI squad rushed into the room, with West screaming for the techs to raise their hands. They all complied, and were quickly corralled into a corner.

"Lieutenant Griffin? We've secured the lower lab and we have prisoners. What's your status?"

"_Still pinned outside! And the storm's hitting in force! You gotta hurry and get us inside!"_

"Copy that LT! Hang tight."

"What do we do about these guys?" Prevost asked, pointing his gun in the prisoners' direction.

"Shove 'em in that decon shower and lock it up. We'll come back for them probably."

The prisoners shuffled into the shower where they were then sealed away. The squad moved back into the elevator, but John stopped when something caught his eye. A stack of papers detailing the design and layout of the ship, as well as designs for proposed upgrades. Deciding that this would be valuable to InOps, he stuffed it in his suit pocket, then jogged back over to the others. They rode up to the main level and came out onto the central foyer.

The sounds of gunfire became much more prevalent as Griffin's platoon was still battling outside. More Nod soldiers were positioned by the door, while Flame throwers waited behind them. Xhaferi quickly motioned for Shaw to move forward, and the young private holstered his sub machine gun and pulled out his grenade launcher. He fired a single grenade right into the heart of the Nod soldiers, and the explosions created a sickening shower of gore. The others opened fire on the survivors and quickly cut them down from behind. One Flame trooper managed to turn around, but a stray burst from Prevost caused his tank to exploded, setting the barricades alight.

The firefight ended in seconds, and the squad rushed to the door and threw them wide open. Outside, Nod machine gunners were still keeping the GDI soldiers pinned down. Several Nod soldiers must have heard the explosions, as they immediately opened fire as soon as the doors opened. John fired a burst, but had to fall back into the foyer as he was nearly shredded apart by a storm of bullets.

"Shaw, fire a grenade!" Xhaferi shouted over the roar of gunfire.

Shaw took a step out to fire his weapon, but was instantly perforated by dozens of bullets. He collapsed to the ground, with a large pool of blood quickly forming underneath him. John quickly dashed out to grab him and pull him to safety. Prevost ran over to help and they all barely made it back to safety. John looked down to see Shaw was already long gone, and he cursed violently at his death.

"Lanny, you got a death wish or something! You coulda got killed!" West screamed.

"I wasn't going to leave him there!" John shouted back.

"Save it for later! We still have to take out those gunners!" Xhaferi scolded.

The four men traded fire with the Nod soldiers for a moment before ducking back into cover. At that moment, Xhaferi seemed to have gotten an idea as he turned to John.

"Lancaster, grab Shaw's grenade belt. When I give the order, toss it outside!"

John nodded his head and quickly retrieved the grenades, he then readied himself to toss it outside. Xhaferi waved his hand, and John lobbed the belt outside, where it landed in the midst of the Nod forces. Xhaferi stepped out and took a single shot before jumping back into cover. His single bullet managed to puncture one of the grenades and set it off, and as the ground shook from the explosions, the sound of gunfire was replaced by screaming.

The men charged outside and quickly gunned down the remaining soldiers, just as Griffin and her platoon came rushing forward.

"Secure the building! Go go go! Nice work Sergeant, now come on!"

John followed them all back inside, just as the Ion storm enveloped the Nod base.

… … …

**1547**

McNeil stared up at the imposing frame of the ship, the purple armour glowing an eerie and ominous hue in the sickly overcast. The storm had abated temporarily, but it was bound to hit again soon. GDI had taken that time to quickly establish defences around the ship, while the engineers and Volkov's men searched inside. However that meant McNeil had to defend the crash site, as Anvil's scouts reported a massive Nod force heading their way. Now his forces were situated in a line of hastily constructed trenches and foxholes while the armour hunkered down for the impending attack.

"What's the status on those Vulcan turrets?"

McNeil directed his question to Lieutenant Kururigi. The Japanese officer consulted his tablet for a moment before responding.

"Twenty to thirty minutes sir. Not enough time to get them set up before the attack."

"Damn. Alright, work as fast as you can. We'll still need them."

"Yes sir!"

The man raced off, leaving McNeil alone with Volkov. The intelligence agent was busy looking over a series of papers retrieved by a Private John Lancaster not even a half hour ago.

"Anything worthwhile?" McNeil asked.

"Not exactly something to alter the war in our favour, but still useful. These aren't the original blueprints, but instead copies made by the Nod engineers. Almost like they were trying to reverse engineer their own tech."

"Something like this? Not surprising Kane would want to keep it compartmentalized."

"True, but still. General Vega's men were fairly close to figuring it out."

"Sounds like we'd be better off blowing this thing up to deny the enemy access."

"I agree with you Commander, but not before we look inside."

"We might not have a choice Major. I have an entire armour division bearing down on us."

"You just need to hold them for a little longer."

"Fine, you best hurry Major."

Volkov nodded then raced off back to the ship. McNeil just sighed as he walked back to the Mobile Command Vehicle. The large vehicle essentially served as ground based versions of the OCV, albeit much smaller. The large radio and sensor tower had been extended, although it wouldn't be much use when the storm hit again. He moved inside and found Anvil looking over the outline of their defences, a scowl etched on her face.

"We need more time to dig in. That armour is going to roll right over us."

"We don't have any more time. How much longer for the rest of unit?"

"They're moving into Houston now, but it will still take them awhile. I don't like this Mack, we should bug out."

"I know, but unfortunately Major Volkov is right. We need whatever is inside that ship: Solomon's orders."

"Be nice if we could get some Orca support. What's the point in having an airborne unit if you can't use air power?"

"Blame the storm, not me."

Anvil let out a long sigh and looked around the cramped compartment. She turned back to McNeil and her shoulders sagged slightly.

"We hold with what we have then. Titans in the back for fire support, tanks hull down to cover the infantry. I'll keep Ocelot Company mobile in case we need a quick response force."

"Good thinking. Nothing left now but to wait."

"Gee, great. Got any cards?"

… … …

John watched as the two Pitbull reconnaissance vehicles returned. One pulled over as Captain Mitch waved him down, and the passenger door opened.

"What's the word Corporal?"

"FUBAR sir. Whole fuck ton of Nod tanks coming right for us, arty too."

"Fucking wonderful. Carry on son."

The Pitbull raced off and the Captain called for his squad leaders to rally around. John just remained in the foxhole with West and Prevost. West had his eyes closed as he smoked a cigar, seemingly off in his own world. Prevost was chewing on a protein bar as he worked on a letter back home. John glanced over his shoulder at what he was writing, and noticed mentioning's of the ship. No doubt GDI censors would be blotting out most of Prevost's letter. John busied himself by reading up on officer training academy, hoping to make the transition in the new year.

"Hey John? Keep an eye out for Val, I gotta go take a leak." West stated as he stood up.

John just hummed an affirmative as West left the foxhole. Prevost noisily crushed up his wrapper and tossed it to the ground, something that irked John greatly.

"Dude, why did you litter? You know that shit just ends up in the ocean right?"

Prevost looked at him like he had grown an extra head.

"Dude, for real? Tiberium is slowly eating the fucking planet, but you think me throwing one gods damned wrapper away is gonna fuck up the environment? A little late to be worrying about that kind of thing man."

John went to argue, but found he had no real counter. Why should anyone really care when half the planet was gone already. Instead he just sighed and held out his hand.

"Pass me one will yah?"

Prevost shrugged his shoulders and handed him a protein bar, which he tore into with abandon. He was about to resume reading the text when the ground in front of their foxhole suddenly exploded. John and Prevost were pelted by dirt as they grabbed their guns and got into a firing position. But when they stared out into no man's land, there was nothing there.

More explosions went off all along the trench line, and men scrambled to get back to their squads. John spotted Xhaferi and West running back to the foxhole, until they disappeared in a cloud of dust and smoke. John wanted to scream out, but he was cut off by someone else screaming out,

"STEALTH TANKS!"

John snapped his head back around, only to see the column of Nod tanks approaching far off to the north. However, several missiles streak by from seemingly nowhere, and two Aegis' were destroyed. The thick contrails wrapped around a boxy frame that shimmered and swirled until eventually it became opaque and revealed a Nod Stealth tank. Nine more materialized and fired another salvo, destroying parts of the trench line.

"We gotta move! We can't stay here!" Prevost shouted out as he climbed from the foxhole.

"But Sergeant Xhaferi…" John began meekly.

"They're dead John! Let's go!"

They both climbed out and ran towards the next closest foxhole, just as a missile destroyed the one they were just in. As they ran, the GDI tanks began firing back, and one Stealth tank nearby was cored by a Titan, causing it to explode like a confetti canon. John leapt into the foxhole and found three frightened looking soldiers. Prevost landed a moment later just as another Stealth tank was destroyed.

"Who's in charge here?" John asked.

The three men exchanged looks before one spoke up.

"Uhm…I-I guess I-I-I am…s-sir."

The kid looked barely over seventeen and was damn near ready to wet his pants.

"I'm no sir, I'm just a private, like you guys. Names John Lancaster. Where's your sergeant?"

"He was in that APC over there, getting more ammo for our machine gun."

John followed the pointed finger to a M113 that was billowing thick black smoke into the air. It seemed pretty obvious the man was dead. John looked back to the three and finally took notice that they were a machine gun crew, operating a large mounted machine gun. He was about to ask for their names when an explosion nearby sent them all ducking deeper into the foxhole. John peeked out to see that four Stealth tanks still remained, and were dipping in and out of stealth, making it harder for the GDI tanks to hit them. John knew this was just a prelude to the full attack, so he tried to rally the men together.

"We need to get this gun up and running. Prevost you and I will…what?"

The four men stared at him for a moment, before one of the gun crew spoke up.

"Why are you in charge? You can't just hop in here and act like you're the boss!"

A Stealth tank materialized just outside their foxhole and fired a salvo of rockets. The men could feel the heat from the backblast and once again dove for cover. However the tank simply rolled off as it hunted for another target. The gun crew got back to their feet and quickly worked on setting up their gun, apparently no longer concerned with who was in charge. John and Prevost took up firing positions and waited for the real enemy assault. Sure enough, past the smoking wrecks of the Stealth tanks, Nod Ticks and Reckoners raced across the open plain.

The last Stealth tank was destroyed in a shower of sparks as a glancing tank shell managed to breach its ammunition stores. John took a moment to take stock of the damage, and was disheartened to see nearly twelve Aegis tanks and a single Titan had been destroyed, not to mention the infantry losses.

'_Like Val and West.' _John thought bitterly.

The enemy forces were getting closer, and he could now make out Attack Buggies leading the charge. Without any connection to command or anyone with authority, John had to think on the fly. He didn't know if there would be some order to wait, but at the same time he didn't want to hesitate too long either.

"Get that gun ready, aim for the Buggies. But wait until everyone else starts shooting!"

"You got it chief!" One of the gunners replied.

John gripped his rifle tightly and watched as the enemy drew closer. They were almost in range of the GDI tanks when the entire column rolled to a stop.

"What the hell are they doing?" Prevost asked.

John realized a moment too late what was happening. He tried to yell out a warning, but his voice was lost in the cacophony of screeching and earth-shaking explosions. Artillery fire rained down across the entire GDI position, with several shells even impacting the ship. Tanks were destroyed, and entire sections of the trench line were obliterated. The men hugged the ground as tightly as they could as they were covered with dirt.

"I DON'T WANT TO DIE!" Someone screamed out, though John could barely hear them.

"Lord Jesus, oh sweet Jesus, oh Jesus, oh Jesus, oh Jesus!"

The artillery fire continued to rain down, and John swore he was going to go deaf from the horrible screeching sound it made. It felt like the artillery barrage was going on forever, while the ground felt like it would open up at any moment and swallow them all whole. But then it ended, and the silence felt like an immense relief, like a tremendous pressure had been removed from his chest. Slowly they all rose back up to find the GDI line riddled with large craters, and nearly a third of the tanks had been wiped out.

The Nod armour resumed their advance and came under immediate fire from the Aegis' and Titans. However it was significantly reduced following the barrage, and the Nod tanks got in close enough to return fire. A bright flash momentarily blinded John, followed by a loud boom. He thought the artillery had started back up, but he quickly discovered it was the Ion storm striking again. Large lightning bolts began striking both GDI and Nod forces with impunity, as the tanks began exchanging fire.

The other foxholes came to life with machine gun and rocket fire, so John gave the order for the gunners to open up. They targeted a Nod Buggy coming straight towards them, but their heavy rounds punctured through the light armour and destroyed it. Emboldened by their first kill, they began firing on a Reckoner, but its armour was too thick.

"Hold fire! You can't puncture through that. Wait for it to deploy its troops, then open up!" John ordered.

The machine gun fell silent, and the Reckoner rolled to a stop in front of a ruined trench line. Nod soldiers leaped out and moved to secure the derelict trench. The gunners opened fire and easily tore into the Nod troops. John and Prevost targeted the ones that managed to avoid the heavy gun. A few Nod troops managed to make into cover and began firing back, forcing John to duck down as the lip of the foxhole was pelted with bullets.

He stood back up and resumed firing as the heavy gun raked the trench. The Nod soldiers were driven down into hiding, just as the Reckoner retreated back to Nod lines. John spotted another Reckoner moving to take the place of the last one, and he was about to order the gunners to shift focus, but stopped as the gun went silent.

"Out of ammo! Reloading!"

"Shit. Achille, covering fire!"

The two men tried to keep the Nod soldiers suppressed while the gunners reloaded their weapon. However the Nod troops took advantage of the silenced gun, as well as their fresh reinforcements, and began pushing forward. John fired burst after burst, each one killing a Nod soldier. But the enemy pushed on relentlessly, and were nearly about to storm the foxhole.

"Back up!"

"Open fire!"

The heavy gun ripped into the Nod soldiers from close range, spilling entrails onto the ground and literally cutting a man in half. The enemy soldiers turned and ran, but they were sliced apart in a gruesome display of war. The field around the foxhole was now covered in blood and gore, and John was immensely thankful for his helmet keeping the smell out.

The second Reckoner stopped in the same place as the first one, but instead of deploying its occupants, it remained idle. John lifted his head to see why, but was knocked back when an explosion went off mere feet away. He landed hard against the far wall, just as another artillery barge began.

"Fuck not again!"

The Ion storm seemed to grow in intensity in response to the artillery, and the sky suddenly lit up as lighting tore across through the clouds. The sound of artillery fire mixed in with the lightning strikes, making it sound as if the world itself was about to end. John shakily got back to his feet, just as another explosion knocked him back down. His head felt like it weighed a thousand pounds, and his vision became blurry. He tried to shake it off, but the motion made him nauseas. His ears were ringing and it felt like every bone is body was broken.

Slowly a sound began to break through the ringing. It took him several seconds to figure out what it was, as it went from sounding miles off, to a muffled noise, until finally it became painfully clear.

"MEDIC! I NEED A FUCKING MEDIC!"

John got up with a start and looked around the foxhole. Prevost was kneeling over one of the gunners who had a jagged piece of metal jutting from his left eye. The other two were huddled in the corner, unable to move as their friend screamed in agony and artillery still rained down.

"WHERE THE FUCK IS MY GODS DAMNED MEDIC!"

"It hurts! Fuck it hurts! Jesus Christ! Fuck! It's in my **eye**!"

John stumbled over and got a close up view of the mess: the private's eye was leaking down his cheek, and the metal was embedded deep.

More artillery rounds exploded nearby before abruptly stopping again. The sound of tank engines and creaking treads replaced the thunderous booming of artillery as Nod advanced once more.

John heard two rifles crack off nearby, and he raised his weapon and got ready to fire, but stopped when someone called out.

"Friday!"

"Wyoming!" John countered.

Three soldiers leapt into the foxhole, one bearing the uniform of a medic. She immediately ran over to the wounded gunner and push Prevost out of the way. As she began working, one of the other new arrivals barked out an order.

"You two, back on the gun!"

"Yes Sergeant!"

"And you…holy shit! John!"

John looked up in disbelief, tears forming at the corner of his eyes. Standing in front of him was Xhaferi and West, both covered in layers of dirt and blood, but otherwise were completely fine.

"Val, fuck me I thought you guys were…"

"We damn near were. Rocket blast knocked us back. When we got back to the hole it was ruined and you guys were gone."

"This reunion is touching and all, but we got bigger problems!" West shouted.

The four men took up positions beside the heavy gun. Nod infantry were now deployed en masse as they stormed the GDI line. Enemy tanks rolled forward against what few tanks GDI had left. At the edge of the Nod line, John could now see the Nod Cobra SPGs, their cannons ready to fire another barrage.

The heavy gun opened up and began carving through the enemy soldiers. John and the others also fired into the thick mass of bodies. The enemy leaped into craters or trenches and returned fire, filling the air with staggering amounts of bullets. John just kept shooting, his arm growing numb, and the exhaustion from a long day of fighting starting to creep in despite the adrenaline. The enemy grew bolder and left their cover to move forward, heedless of the heavy losses they suffered. The GDI soldiers could tell they would be overrun any minute, and that this was to be their final battle.

"Guns dry!" A gunner yelled.

"Grab your rifles and keep shooting!" Xhaferi screamed back.

The six men kept shooting, all the while the medic worked on the still screaming gunner. John ducked to reload, and found himself down to his last magazine. A grim sense of serenity settled over him as he knew he was going to die soon. He looked at his squad, his brothers in arms, and felt a smile creep onto his face. There was no better group of people to die with. He got back up and resumed firing, the tide of Nod soldiers nearly upon them.

Then, the ground shook with violent fury as another artillery barrage rained from the sky. Only this time, the artillery rounds landed in the midst of the Nod forces, sending scores of soldiers flying in different directions. They stopped their advance and began retreating as more shells landed. It took John a moment to realize a difference in the sound the rounds made: instead of the screeching cannon with Cobras, it was more of a dull whistle, like that of-

"Juggernauts! Coming up the rear!"

"Fuck yeah! About time!"

GDI soldiers began cheering as the massive walking artillery moved closer, their three barrels belching out shells into the enemy, destroying tanks and clusters of infantry. The Nod Cobras ready to fire a counter salvo, but were abruptly destroyed as a shower of rockets rained down on them. M270s came rolling up from behind the Juggernauts, thick contrails clinging to them as they fired more rockets.

Within minutes the Nod attack had faltered and the enemy was in full retreat. Men cheered and cried and laughed as the Juggernauts continued firing on the retreating enemy. John was swept up into a bear hug as Xhaferi laughed heartily. He even noticed Prevost and West share a quick hug. However it wasn't all good, as the two gunners wept over their dead friend, the medic shaking her head as she left the foxhole.

The battle was over, and they had won but as, John looked back at the strange ship, he felt a chill running down his spine. If the Brotherhood could build something like this, what else did they have in store for them?

"Hey John."

He turned to face Xhaferi, a proud look on his face.

"Just heard from Achille that you took command here. Kept everyone in line. Nice work. I'll be sure to pass this along to Lieutenant Chandra."

"Thanks Val."

"We'll make an officer of you yet."

John just smiled, but inwardly, he didn't feel so thrilled. His first, albeit unofficial, command and he had lost a soldier. He suddenly wasn't so confident any longer. He looked up as light beamed down from the sky, and the clouds began breaking apart as the storm ended in full.

The sun now shined down on the scarred and bloodied battlefield.

… … …

**1800**

McNeil moved slowly down the corridors of the ship, M16 Pulse Rifle raised and at the ready. Major Volkov and four of his Rangers followed close behind. During the battle, Volkov claimed to have found a way onto the bridge of the ship, but McNeil had ordered him to wait until the battle ended. Now they crept through the strange interior of the ship where, like outside, human equipment clashed with the alien design.

"We're almost there." Volkov said.

"Keep frosty people. Just cause the lights are off doesn't mean no one is home."

They continued on for several minutes before they came into a large open chamber. A shard of blue Tiberium sat in the centre, apparently powering the bridge. McNeil couldn't help but gape in awe at the sight: how the hell did Nod build something like this?

"Chandra you getting this?"

"_Yes sir. Recording the whole thing." _

"There's some crazy stuff in here-"

McNeil was suddenly knocked to the ground. He quickly rolled over and narrowly missed a blade aimed for his throat. He leapt up and swung his rifle up like a club, but his assailant caught it with her free hand. She then brought the knife back down but McNeil was able to catch it, locking the two in an awkward position. Volkov and his Rangers likewise had been ambushed, but not by Nod soldiers.

"Shiners." McNeil hissed.

"My name is Umagon, and you better remember it unless you want to lose your head." Umagon said sternly.

"I don't." McNeil replied.

He let go of his grip on her hand, and she likewise released her hold on his gun. She removed the veil covering her face and revealed a strong, yet beautiful face marred with Tiberium growths. McNeil quickly ordered his men to stand down. Volkov moved to protest, but quickly stopped after a growl from a Mutant soldier.

"I know where Vega is, and I can help you find him. In return…we need your help. Our leader, Tratos, has been captured. And we lack the firepower to break him out."

McNeil was silent for a moment as he considered her proposal. GDI had always maintained a 'do not interfere' policy when it came to the Forgotten tribes. On the other hand though, finding Vega's base could end Nod's entire North American campaign. He looked Umagon over quickly, and he could tell she was a fierce woman and clearly determined.

"How do I know I can trust you?"

"Unlike you Blunts, the Forgotten are a people of honour. We'll keep our word."

He tried to give her his best cocky grin, but it didn't seem to have much effect.

"Okay, we'll help you."

"But Commander! What about the ship?" Volkov protested.

"Don't bother with it Blunt. There's nothing here."

"But-"

"That's enough Major. Let's return to the Kodiak and let Anvil's engineers set up the demo charges. I'll be more than happy to see thing get blown to smithereens."

Umagon and her mutant escorts led the GDI team back outside, leaving behind the Nod ship. McNeil followed behind her, carefully looking her over, and wondering how in the world he was going to explain all of this to Solomon.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

"_Humanity should question itself, once more, about the absurd and always unfair phenomenon of war, on whose stage of death and pain only remain standing the negotiating table that could and should have prevented it."_

_\- Pope John Paul II_

**Tampico, Mexico **

**September 18****th****, 2030**

**1100**

McNeil tugged his leather jacket tighter, more out of habit than anything. He and Chandra stood on one side of the holographic display table on the Kodiak's bridge, while Umagon stood on the other. She was manipulating the display to show a large Brotherhood settlement located nearby. What apparently was once a simple farming town, had been turned into a Nod research facility with a large '_hospital'_ in the center. McNeil shuddered as childhood memories flooded the forefront of his mind. He and his brother grew up in a similar Nod settlement, one where people were taken in the middle of the night, never to be seen again.

"As you can see, the hospital is well guarded," Umagon began, prompting McNeil to snap his focus back on her. "We simply lack the firepower to even get close. But there's another problem: a radar station located here. If we don't destroy that first, Nod will be alerted of our presence, and kill Tratos."

"So we take out the radar station, then deploy our strike team." Chandra Argued.

"No. Wait for my team to infiltrate the settlement first. That way, when you Blunts come dropping in, we can move into the hospital before Nod has time to react."

"We'll use a joint strike team then. My paratroopers along with your forces should be enough to take out the radar station. The Kodiak can jam Nod's transmissions, but not for long. We'll have to move fast." McNeil said.

"I don't need your Blunts getting in my way. Just keep Nod busy while we get Tratos out." Umagon replied heatedly.

"Not going to happen. I need your leader alive as much as you do. We do this together or not at all."

McNeil and Umagonstared down each other, leaving McNeil's command staff to stand by awkwardly. For a moment McNeil thought that Umagon wouldn't break, but clearly her love for her leader was more important than her ego.

"Fine. But I'm still in charge on the ground. Got it?"

"Fair enough. How many men do you need?"

"We go light and fast. One platoon should be enough, along with my warriors."

"Chandra, get a platoon from Alpha Company and get them down to the Forgotten staging area."

"You got it Mack."

"I'll have two Dropships ready to deploy my forces into the settlement. But you'll have to get him back to the staging area to be brought to the Kodiak." McNeil continued.

"I still don't like bringing him here, but… just make sure you're there to pick us up."

"Don't worry, we'll get him out." McNeil said more sympathetically.

"I'm putting a lot of trust in you Blun- McNeil."

Umagon left the bridge and instantly the tension in the room faded. McNeil let out a loud sigh, just as Brink came over to him.

"Should we really be helping out the Shiners? We can find Vega on our own."

"You're probably right Lieutenant. But getting their help will make this go a lot faster, and possibly end the war sooner."

"I still don't like it sir."

"You don't have to. Just follow orders."

Brink sulked as she plodded back to her station. McNeil looked over his officers and noted many had similar expressions. The idea of working with mutants was not one that they liked. He himself wasn't fond of them, but they were still people, and they didn't deserve to be wiped out by Nod.

He returned to the holographic display and placed both hands on the table. He would have to relinquish a lot of command to Umagon, something he wasn't used to doing. He could only hope he was making the right decision.

… … …

John kept his gaze firmly on the floor, as he dared not look up. He and his squad were crammed into the Forgotten transport, an old school bus turned armoured troop carrier. They shared the space with a squad of Forgotten soldiers, and it was clear that both parties did not want to be working with the other. That's why John was avoiding the death glare the mutant across from him was giving him, to try and avoid a possible confrontation.

The Battle Bus, as it was unimaginatively named, bounced its way over the broken terrain, along with three other Buses and four Forgotten armoured cars, known as El Diablos. It was a far cry from the safety of a GDI APC, as it was literally just a civilian bus with a bunch of scrap metal bolted to the sides and a machine gun mounted to the top. But it was better than walking, and at least things were quiet.

"Hey Shiner!"

Well, it _was _quiet.

"Hey! I'm talking to you, you mutant fuck!"

John finally looked to find West angrily shouting at the mutant in front of John. The mutant had now shifted his death glare from John onto West, and he looked as though he was ready to murder them both.

"West! The fuck are you doing!?" John hissed, but West wasn't listening.

"You got a problem there Shiner? Staring at us like some dimwitted savage."

"You best learn your place, Blunt. You smooth-skins shouldn't be messing in our business." The Mutant replied, his voice sounding impossibly deep.

"It was your bitch of a leader who came begging to us for help."

The Mutant shot to his feet, which drew the attention of everyone else on the Battle Bus. John tried to press himself deeper into his chair as he could tell a fight was brewing.

"You don't dare talk about Umagon like that! You Blunts have no honour!"

"You Tib' Fiend fucking savages need to learn some respect!"

"That's enough Corporal!" Xhaferi roared.

"Remus, calm yourself." Another mutant called out.

West and Remus continued to stare down each other, neither willing to relent. Eventually though, Remus gave a wicked smile and broke contact, before settling back in his seat. West gave a self-satisfied grin, but it quickly evaporated when Xhaferi began chewing him out. John was about to breathe a sigh of relief, but Remus' deep voice once more resonated through the Bus.

"We do not need your help, smooth-skins, especially yours."

John took a moment to realize that Remus was pointing at him.

"Wh-what did I do?" John asked.

"I sense dark things about you, boy. I may not be as gifted as Tratos in the Sight, but it is clear as day that a dark destiny awaits you."

"Remus, that's enough. We asked for GDI's help, and we will be cooperative. Umagon ordered this herself." The mutant from earlier stated.

Remus silently nodded his head and leaned back in his seat, finally releasing John from his terrifying gaze.

John mulled over the mutant's words as the small convoy drove through a stretch of farmland. Scraggy and pitifully small crops were all that grew in the fields, as Nod citizens laboured away. Many stopped to watch the convoy drive past, with only worried mothers hurrying their children away. It was odd seeing people who openly followed the Brotherhood go about their normal lives. Just average, normal people whose only difference was their political alignment.

He felt bad for these people, struggling to make a living out here. But there was nothing that he could do, and eventually he had to push his concerns aside as the convoy left the small scattering of farms and once more drove into the badlands. The Forgotten soldiers began readying their weapons, which was a wide assortment of GDI and Nod issued gear, both old and new. Remus, for example, carried a Nod Excalibur rifle, while another Forgotten had a modified M16 MK. II, while others still carried AK-47s or M8s. John checked over his own pulse rifle and mentally prepared himself for a fight.

Xhaferi stood up as he held a hand to his earpiece, then turned to address the GDI soldiers.

"We're approaching the target building! We'll be going in hot, so keep moving and watch your fire!"

As Xhaferi finished, Remus stood up and began issuing his own orders to the mutants.

"Slaughter the Nod bastards! Show them the true meaning of our fury! Oh, and don't kill the _good _humans. For honour!"

The mutants roared in response, shaking their weapons or beating their chests like barbarians. John watched in awe as the mutants began hyping themselves up for the battle, just as the four El Diablos began racing ahead of the Buses. John craned his neck to see what was happening, and managed to see the Forgotten vehicles drive up to the front gate where they began firing their autocannons. The Nod soldiers manning the two concrete pillboxes quickly returned fire with machine guns and man-operated lasers however the light tanks managed to distract the enemy defences long enough for the Buses to reach the front allowing both Forgotten and GDI soldiers to jump out without suffering from too many losses.

More Nod forces rushed out to aid in the defence, and seemed utterly shocked to find GDI soldiers mixed in with the mutants. Their brief moment of hesitation was enough for the joint force to push past the pillboxes and engage the Nod defenders. The enemy was quickly mowed down by the Buses' machine guns, causing the survivors to seek cover behind civilian vehicles or military supply trucks. The GDI infantry moved to clear out the pillboxes to allow the Forgotten tanks access to the radar facility. But as John followed his squad towards one of the pillboxes, he watched the mutants lead a blind charge towards the enemy. It worked briefly as the mutants tore into Nod troops from up close. But the Brotherhood soldiers quickly rallied and began cutting the mutants down. John tore his gaze away and continued towards the pillbox. A squad of Nod soldiers were guarding the entrance, busy trading potshots with a Forgotten fireteam**.** John and Prevost moved to take cover behind a jeep, while West and Xhaferi moved further up to a black van. Xhaferi aimed his DMR and fired three quick shots, which signaled the others to open fire as well. Their bullets ripped into the Nod squad, killing three soldiers and sending three more into cover. The two mutants who had just been suppressed now leapt from cover and rushed forward. John wanted to call out, but could only watch as they were shot dead by the Nod soldiers.

However their charge had caused the Nod troops to expose themselves, allowing John and the others to easily pick them off. Xhaferi wasted no time and ordered them to rush to the pillbox. Outside the low concrete wall, John could see the El Diablos still firing on the pillboxes or the squads of Nod soldiers attempting to flank the joint force. One of the light vehicle took a laser bolt directly to the turret, causing it to explode and sent the rest of the vehicle crashing into a ditch.

West blasted the lock off and kicked the door in. Prevost tossed a grenade inside which exploded an instant later, followed by screams. John then moved inside, weapon at the ready, but found the occupants inside dead or dying. With the pillbox neutralized, the Forgotten vehicles pushed into the radar facility, quickly tearing apart the Nod defenders and sending them rushing back into the station proper.

The Forgotten forces surged forward, clearly intent on more bloodshed. However the GDI forces followed behind more cautiously, knowing the Nod defenders were not yet beat. Their caution was rewarded moments later when one of the El Diablos ground to a halt as its front two wheels were melted into slag. Laser fire rained down from the radar station as Nod soldiers quickly set up new defensive lines. The mutants rushed on regardless, and many soldiers fell to machine gun or laser fire.

John spotted Remus rallying mutant soldiers behind a large statue of Kane. Xhaferi also noticed this and he began shouting orders to the GDI troops.

"Join up with the Forgotten! By the statue! Let's move!"

The GDI platoon pounded across the pavement as the mutants traded fire with the Nod forces. The last two Forgotten tanks moved up to provide cover for their infantry, while trying to dislodge the enemy troops. Their autocannons ripped apart a hastily made barricade of civilian vehicles and sandbags. However, just as John and his squad reached the statue, several Nod rocket troopers emerged from the radar station. He fired several bursts in their direction, but they missed and the rocket troops fired. Three missiles streaked across the parking lot and slammed into the El Diablos, destroying them instantly. Without the support of the light vehicles, the mutants halted their charge and began seeking cover, Which emboldened the Nod forces.

John and the others continued to trade fire with the enemy, GDI troops on one side of the statue, Forgotten troops on the other. Their attack had stalemated, and now he could see the Nod forces preparing for a counter attack. Just as he ducked down to reload, another squad of GDI troops ran over to the statue. Leading the squad was the platoon leader, Lieutenant Carrigan.

"Sergeant Xhaferi! We need to push up and we need to do it now! Since these Shiners don't have half a brain between them, I'm taking over."

"Understood, sir! What do you need us to do?"

"Move your squad up to that disabled El Diablo and be prepared to provide covering fire for my grenadiers, got it?"

"Loud and clear."

Carrigan nodded as he pulled out a radio.

"Umagon come in? This is Carrigan, I'm moving my guys forward. Tell your Shi…men to watch their fire."

"_Negative! Hold your position and let my warriors take the lead." _

"Fucking mutants!" Carrigan spat angrily. "To hell with her. Sergeant, on my mark. Go!"

"Come on guys let's go!"

John followed behind Prevost as the squad darted out from behind the statue. GDI forces quickly laid down a wall of bullets to help cover them, but the Forgotten hesitated as they were unsure of what was happening. John could hear Remus' angry bellows behind him, but he focused on reaching the El Diablo without getting shot.

"2nd Squad in position!" Xhaferi shouted over the radio.

"_Suppressive fire now!" _

John and the others peaked out from behind the ruined vehicle and fired on the Nod troops. Most had taken cover behind vehicles, but a few were still out in the open. He fired a burst that caught a Nod soldier in the shoulder, sending him falling forward screaming in pain. Another soldier ran out to help him, but he was shot dead by West. The distinctive sound of GDI grenade launcher began going off behind them and moments later, explosions began pummeling the Nod line. Cars were destroyed and barricades blown apart, sending debris and body parts flying. The grenadiers continued to bombard the enemy position, until they abruptly stopped.

"Hey? What the hell is going on?" West demanded.

John turned back to see Remus leading the Forgotten in yet another charge.

"Fucking Shiners!" West hissed violently.

"Forget it Tom! Keep up the suppressive fire!"

John quickly reloaded and stood back up to fire. By this point the Forgotten had gotten close to the Nod line and began firing wildly. The Nod forces were still trying to recover from the barrage of grenades, but they were still able to return fire and drive up the Forgotten's casualties. As the two forces began to intermingle, John had to pick his targets more carefully now out of fear of hitting the mutants. He managed to kill a Nod soldier equipped with a SAW before he could cut down Remus and his squad as the large mutant led his men to one of the few barricades still standing. With astonishing speed and ferocity, the mutants leapt over the barricade and began to tear the Nod soldiers apart from close range.

"_All forces__,__ push forward! Get inside the radar building!" _Umagon commanded.

The Forgotten began pushing for the main entrance to the radar station, just as the Nod forces began falling back. However the GDI troops stayed firmly in place. John looked around, confused as to why they weren't following Umagon's order, and he could see he wasn't the only one confused.

"_What the hell are you doing Blunt? We need to strik__e now, before__ Nod can raise the alarm!" _Umagon shouted angrily.

"_We can't just rush in like wild animals. We need to do this properly." _Carrigan replied indignantly.

As the disagreement between Umagon and Carrigan exploded into a full blown argument over who was in charge, the mutants had managed to secure the main entrance. The Nod barricades had been taken, and what few remaining troops there were had retreated inside. However now both the Forgotten and GDI remained outside, unsure of what to do while their respective leaders argued.

"_I advise we split up__:__ take your mutants and secure the building. I'll take my men and take the control room." _Carrigan was saying.

"_This is my operation Blunt. So unless you want me to call your Commander, I suggest you follow my orders." _

"_I will not be intimidated by some Shiner freak. We will secure the control room, got it? 1__st__ Platoon! Move forward and secure the objective."_

"_Arrogant bastard! Remus? Go with the Blunts__;__ I'll take our warriors and secure the rest of the station." _

John sighed with relief now that the argument was over, and they could carry on. He knew trying to work with the Forgotten would be difficult, but he never figured it would be this divisive. Regardless, both Forgotten and GDI made their way inside, finding the main lobby devoid of any Nod troops. The mutants quickly broke off in multiple directions, while the GDI platoon, along with Remus' squad, proceeded up a flight of stairs to the second floor.

Gunfire began going off down the hallways as the mutants engaged with the Nod remnants. John kept his rifle at the ready while trying to keep up with the others. He noticed Remus running beside him, who was clearly choosing to focus more on the GDI troops over keeping eye for Nod. Anger was plastered on his Tiberium scared face; clearly he did not appreciate Lieutenant Carrigan undermining Umagon's authority.

The platoon eventually came upon a long, circular hallway that wrapped around the interior of the building. Directly in front of them was a set of heavy steel doors that led into the main control room. Strangely it was left unguarded, and most of the fighting seemed to be taking place elsewhere.

"Platoon hold!" Carrigan barked. "1st Squad, go right. 3rd Squad, you go left. 2nd Squad, you're with me. We'll take the mutants and go through this door here."

Xhaferi and the other two squad leaders quickly acknowledged the order, and 1st and 3rd Squads went off to their assigned duties. John and the others stacked up by the door, while Remus positioned himself directly in front. He stared down at Carrigan, and the two men seemed to come to a silent agreement, as Remus kicked open the door with enough strength to snap a man in half. Much to John's surprise, bullets didn't immediately come flying out. Remus began to push his way inside, before stopping and staring down at his feet. A grenade had gently rolled up to his right boot and without even thinking, John tackled Remus out of the way just as Carrigan shouted,

"GRENADE!"

The others scattered as the grenade exploded. The concussive force propelled John and Remus further down the hall, with both men rolling to a painful stop. Remus quickly shoved John off of him and got to his feet. John sat up, rubbing his now aching back, and saw the others had managed to avoid serious injury, though he noticed Prevost and another mutant clutching their legs.

"Don't think that because you saved me, that makes you any better than the rest. You are still an arrogant smooth-skin." Remus growled.

John just put up his hands in a placating gesture as Remus trundled back the others. He slowly followed behind, watching as West and a mutant soldier dragged the wounded back down the hall. He quickly shot Prevost a sympathetic look, but the man's face was too scrunched up in pain to notice. No one returned to their position by the door, fearful of another grenade. An eerie silence fell as no one seemed willing to make the next move.

"Paulson, Compton, status?" Carrigan asked over the radio.

"_1__st__ Squad in position."_

"_3__rd__ Squad, I got wounded being evaced now! Rest are in position."_

"On my signal, push inside!"

John readied himself to charge inside the room. He gripped his rifle tightly, but noticed Remus was completely calm, his large fingers drumming against his rifle's handguard with impatience.

"Xhaferi, do it!"

"Flashbang out!"

Xhaferi tossed the flashbang grenade into the room, and a split second later John heard it go off, followed by panicked cries from the Nod soldiers. The joint force stormed into the room, just as the other two GDI squads did as well. The Nod troops managed to recover quickly and began firing from their positions behind computer terminals and overturned desks. John and Xhaferi quickly moved into cover behind a cubicle, but as they did, John saw Remus take several shots to the chest. The large mutant seemed to just shrug them off as he moved further into the room before finding cover.

Bullets whizzed past John's head as the room became a chaotic mess. He peeked around cover to fire a burst into a desk that two enemy soldiers were hiding behind. The bullets splintered apart the wood, and John could hear someone scream in pain. Without warning, the roar of gunfire suddenly dropped in pitch, and the whizzing of nearby rounds stopped. A voice began shouting over the noise of the firefight as they continued to pound the Nod position, though it took a moment for anyone to hear it.

"Hold your fire! Hold your fire! We surrender! Please hold!"

"Platoon cease fire!" Carrigan shouted.

Remus repeated the order in a low growl and the room fell silent. A lone figure in a Nod officer uniform stood up in the center of the room, his hands raised in the air.

"Please, we surrender." The officer pleaded.

"Compton! Secure these prisoners. I'll inform the Commander to drop a transport for pickup. Xhaferi, Paulson, I need you to-"

The silence was shattered as bullets tore through the Nod officer. More rifles roared to life as the mutants fired on the Nod soldiers who had thrown down their weapons in defeat. John and the other GDI soldiers stood and watched as the mutants slaughtered the defenceless men. Even though they were the enemy, John's stomach still churned at the sight, and even more so at Remus' sickening smile.

"What the fuck is wrong with you!" Carrigan shouted.

"The Brotherhood has shown no mercy to my people! Why should I show any to them?"

"They were prisoners of war under GDI protection. You just committed a war crime!"

"Under who's law?"

"The Geneva Convention. And basic human decency!"

"Well it's a good thing the Forgotten don't recognize either."

Carrigan stared, slack-jawed, as Remus and his mutants simply began scavenging from the dead. John couldn't help but stare at the Nod soldiers who had been so brutally cut down. Once the mutants left though, Carrigan managed to regain his composure and quickly set the men to disabling the communications. They worked in silence as they disabled the building, thus preventing a warning from going to the hospital, or to any nearby garrisons. Once their task was complete, the GDI troops made their way back outside where the Forgotten were already waiting.

"I have the wounded loaded onto one of the buses. It will take them back to the staging ground, where they can be picked up later when we get Tratos." Umagon stated as she walked over to Carrigan.

"You Shiners better take good care of my boys." Carrigan hissed.

"They will be fine. Now come, we must hurry. I've already spoken with McNeil; his Orcas and Dropships await our signal."

Carrigan just nodded, and both GDI and Forgotten loaded onto the buses. Three made their way onto a road that led towards the Nod settlement, while the fourth carried the wounded back towards the farms. John sat next to West, who once again stared angrily at Remus. However this time it was Remus who kept his head down. John tried to distract himself by staring out the window, watching the rugged countryside go by.

He was pulled from his thoughts as he spotted the Nod settlement growing larger in the distance. At first it appeared like any normal town, full of homes and businesses, but he quickly spotted the high concrete walls and defensive turrets surrounding the town. The hospital jutted out from the center, looking more like a fortress than a hospital, and it was surrounded by Hands of Nod and other military complexes. The Forgotten had not been exaggerating when they said the town would be heavily guarded.

"_We are coming up on the hospital now. Once McNeil's Blunts get dropped in, my warriors and I will storm the building and find Tratos. You just keep the Noddies busy, got it?" _Umagon stated over the radio, excitement tinging her voice.

"_Understood. My guys, our objective is to open a path back to the staging ground and keep it open. Reinforcements will be dropping in hot so pick your targets and let's get this job done." _

The Bus was soon filled with the sound of magazines clicking into rifles. John rubbed at his shoulder, still hurting from when he tackled Remus to the ground. West slapped him and the shoulder and gave him a weak smile, which John returned.

"Where are your damned Orcas?" Remus asked.

John looked back out the window and found that they were nearly on top of the town, and the turrets were still operational. The Buses made no attempt to slow down, but if the Orcas didn't show up soon, then they would all be turned to molten slag and ash. As the Buses drew closer, John could make out the shapes of Attack Buggies and Scorpion tanks, as well as Nod soldiers rushing to man security checkpoints. The machine guns bolted to the top of the Buses began belching rounds, but their bullets fell short of actually hitting anything. John was about to voice his opinion on how maybe they should stop and reverse, but stopped when he spotted familiar shapes descending from the clouds.

Four GDI Orcas came barreling down from the sky, and before the Brotherhood could even react, they unleashed a salvo of rockets. Laser turrets and tanks were destroyed in a brilliant blaze, quickly followed by the ground being churned up by the chin mounted Vulcan guns. A loud cheer went up from both GDI and Forgotten soldiers as the Orcas maneuvered for another attack run. However the sky was quickly filled with tracer rounds as Nod Tunguskas began trying to shoot down the Orcas. The fighter craft dipped and weaved around the anti-aircraft fire as they attempted to destroy the enemy defences. Meanwhile the Buses had blown past the smouldering remains of the Nod turrets and moved into the settlement.

The Buses barreled towards the hospital, the machine guns firing non-stop as Nod forces moved to engage them. As they got closer, dark shadows fell over the buildings, causing John to look up. Two GDI Dropships plummeted down from the sky and landed within the settlement walls. Their large bay doors opened, allowing Wolverines and the rest of Alpha Company to deploy into the firefight.

The Buses finally screeched to a halt, and without even receiving orders, the joint force quickly jumped out. It was utter chaos as Nod forces raced to combat the GDI attack, while other Nod soldiers moved to usher civilians to safety. The Forgotten immediately charged for the hospital, and Lieutenant Carrigan would have followed, had Captain Mitch not ran over to stop him.

"Lieutenant! Take your platoon and take out the enemy SPAAG over by the church! I'll have one of Colonel Warren's boys cover you!"

"Copy that, sir! 1st Platoon, on me!"

John and the others followed Carrigan as they battled their way towards the church. They were mostly able to move unopposed as the Nod forces were occupied by other engagements, but John soon spotted a supply truck loaded with soldiers headed straight towards them causing the platoon to scatter and take cover where they could, behind buildings or civilian cars. The truck ground to a halt and the Nod soldiers quickly jumped out to take cover behind the vehicle.

John brought up his rifle's scope and waited for an enemy to make them self visible. One soldier eventually popped his head out for a split second, but that split second was all John needed to fire two shots that perforated the man's skull, and kicking off the firefight. Both sides opened fire and the street was ripped apart from the hailstorm of bullets. Windows shattered, car doors were shredded, and prefabricated buildings were chipped apart.

John tried to get up to fire again, but was forced down as a burst of bullets tore up the car he taking cover behind. Unable to move, he took a quick moment to check on the Orcas. They were still busy trying to avoid the AA fire that filled the air, with one craft smoking from a minor hit to its left stabilizer. John knew that if they couldn't take out the Tunguskas, then their chance to get the mutant leader to safety would become that much more difficult.

"3rd Squad! Flank around the other side of that building! 1st and 2nd, provide covering fire!" Carrigan ordered.

"John, West, focus fire on the rear of the truck!" Xhaferi added.

The three men stood and unloaded their rifles, keeping the enemy troops pinned down. Meanwhile the men of 3rd Squad darted across the street to move around what appeared to be a general store. The GDI troops continued to lay down suppressing fire, and eventually 3rd Squad managed to get into position, and tore into the Nod forces.

With the way cleared, the platoon continued on their way to the church. It was built in a traditional style, with a large tower to house a bell and a long, single story room for the chapel. The platoon advanced on the building, seeing the tracer rounds being fired into the air from behind.

"We need to take out the Tunguska. Sergeant Xhaferi, take your men inside the church and-"

Lieutenant Carrigan never finished giving his order as his right temple suddenly exploded from a sniper shot. The platoon once again scattered as several more shots rang out, but all seemed to miss. John, West, and Xhaferi all dove for cover behind a hedgerow that divided a small park from the street. John stared back at Carrigan's lifeless body, as GDI soldiers fired on the church.

"Captain Mitch come in? This is 1st Platoon, Lieutenant Carrigan is KIA. Captain, do you copy?" Xhaferi shouted angrily.

"_I hear you Sergeant. Continue with the objective. I need the SPAAG taken care of. Mitch, out."_

"Paulson! I need your men to draw out that sniper!" Xhaferi shouted over the roaring of bullets.

"Don't fucking miss! Private Malarky! Run to the courtyard wall."

"Ah, fuck me!"

The young private darted from cover and ran as fast as he could for the courtyard. Xhaferi leveled his DMR and waited, aiming at the bell tower. John spotted a brief glint in the window, and a split second later, Xhaferi fired a single shot. Private Malarky made it to the courtyard without a scratch, and the others held their fire. Minus the sound of fighting elsewhere, things grew quiet.

"Hostiles in the courtyard! Kill the infidels!"

Nod soldiers began shouting as the church windows exploded outward from rifle and machine gun fire. The GDI soldiers ducked back into cover, while Malarky ran back to friendly lines, his luck holding on as he made it back unscathed. The GDI forces returned fire, but their bullets were having no effect on the Nod forces hiding inside. That was, until John heard loud, heavy footsteps from behind them. A Wolverine stomped down the street, its Vulcan cannons spinning. The Wolverine unleashed a stream of lethal lead that disintegrated the church walls. The Nod forces that weren't eviscerated began to retreat, fleeing into the streets.

With the church now clear, Xhaferi quickly rallied the platoon and led them behind the church. There, they found the Tunguska, its guns having gone silent as its crew abandoned the tank. Men from Compton's 3rd Squad went about setting demo charges on the chassis. The three squads then made their way back out onto the street, just in time to witness GDI forces falling back to the Dropships as Nod troops and tanks began to encircle them. The Orcas continued their attack runs, destroying what they could, but their fuel and ammunition was not infinite.

Sergeant Compton pressed down on the detonator, creating a large explosion behind them as the Tunguska was destroyed. Xhaferi began to order the platoon to head back for the Dropships, but stopped when Captain Mitch's voice crackled over the radio.

"_Alpha Company, fall back to the transports! Forgotten have the package, I repeat, Forgotten have the package! 1__st__ Platoon, I need you to move to the south eastern entrance and clear a path for the transports, the Forgotten will pick you up there."_

"Understood sir, 1st Platoon is oscar mike."

"_See you back on the Kodiak. Actual out." _

"Come on let's move! We don't want to get left behind!"

The platoon began running towards the rendezvous point, as the Wolverine stomped its way back to the transports. Most of the Nod forces were occupied trying to deal with the larger GDI force, but John could see two squads of infantry and a Tick tank guarding the exit. With the GDI strike team now retreating, and the Orcas having flown off to refuel, they would have to find a way to get through on their own.

The tank sat directly in the middle of the street, still in its mobile configuration, while the two squads were positioned on either side inside security checkpoints. Xhaferi motioned for the platoon to take cover behind a nearby pile of rubble. John and several others rested their rifles against the piles of bricks and debris, keeping their eye on the Nod troops as the sergeants huddled together.

"Compton, your boys have any grenade launchers?" Xhaferi asked.

"Just the one; don't think that'll be enough to take down that tank." Sergeant Compton replied.

"If we can get close enough, we should be able to disable it. Don't have to worry about destroying it." Sergeant Paulson pointed out.

"That means we have to get mighty close. Okay, here's the plan: Compton, Paulson, you take your squads and move around on the right checkpoint. I'll take my guys and swing around the left. Compton, you get your grenadier as close as you need to disable that thing. Got it? Alright let's go."

The three sergeants quickly relayed the plan then the platoon began to move. The two squads picked their way through the rubble into the back alley, while John, West, and Xhaferi darted across the street into a construction site. The sounds of battle were growing faint, and were being replaced by the sound of the massive Dropships trying to lift off. Once the GDI forces were safely away, every Nod soldier in the settlement would fall in on the Forgotten, and the platoon. John and the others quickly, but carefully, made their way through the construction site, dashing from large steel pipes to bulldozers and cranes. They soon found themselves behind a series of shipping containers, directly across from the checkpoint.

Nod soldiers watched through the windows, rifles trained down the street while an officer manned a portable laser gun. Xhaferi and West both pulled out frag grenades, and John readied himself to open fire as soon as they tossed them.

"2nd Squad in position." Xhaferi reported.

"_Roger. We're in position, just waiting on you." _Compton replied.

"West, toss 'em!"

Both men tossed their grenades and John bolted his feet. He fired on full auto at the checkpoint, sending the Nod troops diving for cover. Both grenades landed outside of the checkpoint, lazily rolling to in front of the laser gun. They exploded in a loud bang, causing the wall to explode inwards and destroying the laser gun in the process. The other two squads quickly leapt into action and charged for the other checkpoint. Xhaferi then bolted towards the enemy, with West and John in tow.

They stormed through the large hole they had created, finding three of the five Nod soldiers struggling to their feet. John and West quickly disposed of the survivors with three quick bursts. With the left checkpoint clear, they moved back onto the street to help the others, only to find it was unnecessary as the right checkpoint was also cleared.

A GDI grenadier moved to fire on the Tick that was currently rotating its turret to face them. Before the tank could get a shot off, the grenadier unloaded his entire drum, the magnetic grenades attached themselves to the weak point connecting the turret to the chassis.

"Everyone fall back!"

The GDI platoon retreated as the tank tried to track them. Moments later, all the grenades simultaneously exploded, ripping a large hole into the turret and causing black smoke to billow out. The Tick stopped dead, and hatches opened to allow the crew to stumble out, coughing. Two GDI soldiers moved to force the crew to surrender, but the crewmen reached for their sidearms, causing them to be gunned down.

"Contact rear!"

The platoon turned to face down the street they had come down, but relaxed when they spotted the Forgotten Battle Buses racing towards them. They quickly pulled over and threw open their doors. Remus stood in one of them and frantically waved for the GDI troops.

"Hurry! Hurry! We must get out of here now!"

The platoon piled onto the Buses, and before they even had time to get seated, the vehicles raced past the smoking tank and away from the settlement. John looked out the window to see if anyone was pursuing them, but all he saw was thick pillars of smoke rising over several places within the settlement. He allowed himself to breathe a sigh of relief as the battle was over.

As the Forgotten Buses neared the staging area, several El Diablos raced out to meet them and escort them back to safety. It wasn't until they reached the Forgotten staging area that they truly knew the battle was over. Forgotten vehicles were being loaded with supplies as the mutants broke camp, gathering everything into Buses or old BTR-80s. The Orca Transport that would take them to the Kodiak was waiting for them, its engines humming.

The Buses pulled over and let their occupants off. Xhaferi led the platoon towards the Transport, while Umagon and two other mutants carried their leader on a stretcher. They all quickly got onto the Transport, and John gave a wide smile when he saw Prevost sitting nearby.

"Hey man! How's the leg?" John asked as he sat down beside him.

"Hurts like a bitch. Heard I missed all the fun. Guess we rescued the Shiner eh?" Prevost replied, jerking his head in the mutants' direction.

"Yeah, we got him. Just hope he was worth all the trouble."

The Transport lifted off, rising into the clouds to where the Kodiak hovered nearby. Umagon and the other mutants huddled around their leader, Tratos. John couldn't see how he was doing, but judging by their expressions, he wasn't doing too well.

John really hoped this wasn't all for nothing.

… … …

McNeil made his way through the Kodiak towards the sick bay. Men saluted him as he walked by, but he only half mindedly returned the gesture. He entered the sick bay but kept up his brisk pace, passing by soldiers wounded in the recent raid. He made his way to the quarantine room at the far side, where two mutants stood guard. They moved to stop him, but stopped when they recognized who he was.

Inside the room was a single cot. On it was an elderly mutant hooked up to several medical machines. Umagon stood over him, deep concern marring her face.

"How is he?" McNeil asked.

"He is resting." Umagon replied softly.

"Well, wake him up. I need to know where Vega is now."

"Do you love nothing!?" Umagon hissed.

"I love to win." McNeil replied sternly.

Tratos suddenly began convulsing, causing the monitors to go crazy. McNeil rushed over to try and stabilize him, but Umagon pushed him out of the way.

"No! He is having a vision."

McNeil glared at her, but nonetheless stepped back and watched as Tratos' convulsion began to weaken before outright stopping. His eyes suddenly shot open and he looked over at McNeil. McNeil opened his mouth to speak, but Tratos looked over at Umagon, tears welling up in his eyes.

"Kane has the Tacitus." He croaked.

"The what?" McNeil asked.

"Shh, it is okay old friend. Do not worry, GDI will help us. Rest now." Umagon said soothingly.

Tratos shook his head feebly before falling back asleep, tears rolling down his battered face.

"What the hell is a Tacitus?"

"You wouldn't understand. But all you need to know is that this is very bad. Kane could-"

"Listen, I'll let General Solomon know about this…Tacitus thing. But the whole point of us helping you was that he would tell me where Vega's base is."

Umagon glared defiantly at him for a moment, but relented when she looked back down at Tratos' body.

"I know the location. It's here in Mexico, I'll give Chandra the exact coordinates."

McNeil smiled and was about to leave, but stopped himself. Umagon stared down at her leader's frail form, clearly trying to hold back her own tears, and suddenly he felt compelled to help.

"There's a city, in Arizona, that can house your people safely. It's a refugee town, but your people will be welcome there. I can send a message to the Director of New Detroit." McNeil said more sympathetically.

Umagon gave him a weak smile.

"Thank you."

McNeil nodded his head and left, leaving the sick bay as quickly as he had entered it. If Kane had something that made the Forgotten scared, then it could only mean this war would only get far worse.

… … …

**Author's note: The El Diablo is another unit from Generals 2 that I have repurposed for this story. It was a light tank meant to be used by the GLA, but I thought it was a fitting unit for the Forgotten. There are a few more units from the cancelled Generals 2 that I plan to use, but I will make a note of them when they appear.**

**Also if progress on this story seems a bit slow, that is because I am currently working with my editor, IanOtter, on fixing up Part one: Dawn. So you can expect to see a much more polished and updated version coming soon.**

**Until next time. **


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

"_The inevitableness, the idealism, and the blessing of war, as an indispensable and stimulating law of development, must be repeatedly emphasized."  
-__Friedrich von Bernhardi_

**Houston, Texas**

**September 23****rd****, 2030**

**0900**

Anton Slavik stared at the mound of broken and twisted metal that laid before him. Alien-looking, purple armour jutted out like the hand of a fallen god, straining to reach the bleak sky. It had once been Kane's prized possession, a testament to the Brotherhood's ingenuity. Now it, along with the desolate battlefield that surrounded it, stood as a monument to the hubris of one man: General Vega. According to the quivering commander standing next to him, Vega's forces had been utterly wiped out by GDI, even though it should have been an assured victory for Nod. Worse still, Vega had allowed the holy vessel to be tainted not just by GDI, but by the abominations as well. Such transgressions would not go unpunished.

Slavik turned to face the Commander, and noticed the man gulping nervously. He attempted to stand straighter, but he still appeared small and weak before Slavik.

"How many men do you have left?" Slavik asked abruptly.

"I uh… I have about a battalion's worth left, sir. No armour, save for three Cobra SPGs. These men, these veterans, fought bravely for the Brotherhood."

"Yes. They have."

Without warning, Slavik grabbed the man's face with both hands, and began driving his thumbs into the Commander's eyes. The man screamed in agony as his staff watched in horror. Oxana, who was standing nearby, merely turned away from the gruesome display. The Commander tried to swat Slavik away, flailing around in sheer desperation. But Slavik did not relent and instead, he pressed harder, feeling the man's eyes burst, causing blood and fluid to cover his hands. Eventually the screaming stopped, and Slavik let the body fall to the ground. The Commander's staff looked on in pure fear, but Slavik ignored them as he wiped his hands on the Commander's uniform.

"Failure," Slavik stated to no one in particular, "will not be tolerated."

The staff quickly bowed before hastily marching away. Slavik began walking back to the Montauk, with Oxana following behind. They hadn't even taken more than a few steps before carrion birds were already picking apart the Commander's corpse. They walked in silence. Slavik could tell Oxana was disturbed by the display, but he was too furious at the moment to care. He did not take failure lightly, and to have lost something Kane valued so dearly was the greatest failure of all.

He and Oxana walked past his forces as they milled around, awaiting further orders. Many stopped and bowed to them as they walked past, while others simply stared. His forces were impatient; they wanted vengeance against GDI, and Slavik was eager to give it to them. But he first needed to contact the Messiah, and find out what his divine will would be.

Slavik and Oxana boarded the Montauk, and made their way to the bridge. Oxana silently left his side and went to her station. Slavik's thoughts were interrupted as CABAL's avatar appeared before him.

"Kane is awaiting you, Commander Slavik."

Slavik merely brushed off his uniform and stood straighter, trying to look presentable for the Messiah. Moments later, the screen lit up, and Kane's holy visage was displayed before him.

"Your Eminence." Slavik greeted. "I have unfortunate news: the warship is lost."

Slavik expected Kane to react with anger and disappointment. Instead he responded by…smiling?

"_It is of no consequence, my son. The true prize has already been reclaimed. The warship housed a…key. A device that held the secrets of Tiberium. The abominations thought to steal the Tacitus from me, but it has since been returned."_ Kane said reassuringly.

"The Tacitus?" Slavik couldn't help but ask.

"_A device that can make or break __empires. __It is the key__ to understanding Tiberium. However, despite retrieving it from the Forgotten, I fear the mutants may have given what they learned from it to GDI. It would be detrimental to my plans if GDI were able to understand what the Tacitus contained. That is why I need you to take your forces to New Detroit. Locate the Forgotten known as Umagon, and capture her. She can tell __us where GDI is researching the Tacitus."_

"I understand, Your Eminence. What of the rest of the Forgotten?"

"_Eradicate them, burn their hovels, and wipe out anyone that dares harbour them. Show the mutants that my wrath is not to be taken lightly."_

"By your will! Peace through power!"

Kane smiled as he ended the transmission. Slavik immediately turned to Oxana.

"Call back our forces. I want to get moving as soon as possible."

"Understood, sir." Oxana replied with conviction.

Slavik smiled at her, then he turned to CABAL, its avatar still hanging in the air.

"I want all the information we have on New Detroit. Get me troop compositions of both GDI and the Forgotten."

"As you wish."

CABAL disappeared as he went to work, leaving Slavik alone as Oxana and the other bridge crew were busy carrying out his orders. Slavik stepped over to his place at the window, watching his forces beginning to break camp and load back onto the Montauk. He looked down at his hands, still stained with blood, and clenched them in anger. He couldn't help feel he was being sent on some wild goose chase, searching for something or other for Kane with barely an explanation. Why waste time dealing with the Forgotten when there was a war going on? He couldn't help but feel his talents were being wasted. He dare not question Kane, but it simply didn't make sense to him. He was supposed to be the heir apparent, destined to rule the Brotherhood of Nod one day. It was what he had been trained for, what he had endured all of that abuse for. So of course it felt insulting that he was now being treated as some errand boy.

Slavik unclenched his fist as a dark thought crossed his mind. Normally, he would have crushed it and offered a prayer to embolden his faith. But now he decided to entertain it, the thought that hid at the back of his mind. That perhaps he would claim his just place upon the throne of Nod, and rule the Brotherhood as he had been destined to.

Slavik smiled to himself at the image, before pushing it from his mind. He would continue to be the loyal servant, and fetch Kane his prize. But if this Tacitus was as powerful as he had claimed, well…

It was as the Messiah himself had proclaimed: power shifted quickly within the Brotherhood.

… … …

**New Detroit, Arizona**

**1500**

To call New Detroit a city would be incorrect. It was more a sprawling mass of apartment buildings and communal living complexes, ringed by a favela of cobbled together shacks. The only buildings made with any real thought were in the city center, and were comprised of the administration building, the hospital, and the train station. It was a shanty town, barely habitable for the refugees and wayward denizens that called it home.

And the sad truth was: it wasn't too different from many cities that Nod controlled. It was more proof that GDI merely hoarded the wealth to themselves and oppressed all others who struggled to make a living in the new Tiberium world. Tabok felt for these people, but they had committed a grievous sin: they dared harbours the mutants.

The Black Hand had gathered just on the outskirts of the town, having swiftly taken control of the only major highway that led to the city. They had been somewhat shocked at how well defended it was. Columns of Forgotten Crusader tanks, supported by GDI Titans, were arrayed around the city entrance. The enemy was prepared for a frontal assault, but the Brotherhood had no need to attack from the front.

Tabok turned away from the city and looked behind him at the gathered infantry. Five Flame Tanks were in position around a large tunnel that led into the underground railway system, ready to attack the enemy from behind. The Flame Tanks would unleash total devastation upon the enemy, and while they were distracted, the rest of the Nod force would attack.

Tabok then turned his attention to his squad, or rather what was left of it. Phong was busy cleaning his rifle, singing to himself in Vietnamese, while Damien was playing with a golden ring he had around his neck on a simple chain, seemingly deep in thought. Tabok had seen him play with the ring on occasion, but never thought to ask what it was. Sensing a divide was forming with the loss of Jet and Aaron, he decided to try and break the tension.

"Hey Sergeant? Why are we here?"

"The hell do you mean Corporal?" Damien asked wearily.

"I mean _here_, fighting mutants. There is a war going on, isn't there? Why are we wasting our time fighting Shiners?"

"I don't know Tabok, we just follow orders."

"You seriously aren't curious?"

"No, I'm not."

Tabok sighed in defeat and looked to Phong for help, but the man simply shrugged his shoulders and kept cleaning. Tabok tried to think of another way to get his squad to open up; he was not going to let his family break apart.

"Is it true what they say? That Shiners feed their babies to Tib' Floaters? Or that they fuck Tib' Fiends?"

"How should I know what those freaks do? I doubt it anyways." Damien growled.

"I heard they eat Floaters. Part of a ritual. They are nothing but savages and blasphemers." Phong added.

"Huh, wonder what Floater tastes like?" Tabok asked.

"Probably better than the shit they feed us. Seriously, I thought we were 'elite' Black Hand now. Shouldn't we get better rations?" Damien asked.

Tabok tried to hide his smile, seeing his team become more animated.

"You ever eat that meatloaf? Tastes like fucking chicken!" Damien continued.

"Try phô. Taste like real thing." Phong said while pulling an MRE pack out of his bag. He tossed it to Damien who caught it one handed and looked over the package.

"Huh. How come you get the good shit?"

"Cause I ask for it. Can't eat your white devil shit." Phong replied with a grin.

"Yeah, well, knowing you this is full of bugs or leaves or some shit."

The three men shared a laugh, and it was the best feeling in the world. They needed this, to laugh, to joke, or else they would break. Not wanting the conversation to end, Tabok turned to Damien and asked, "Say, Damien. What's with that ring?"

Damien looked at it as though he hadn't known it was in his hand. He clutched it tight as his smile faded.

"It's my wedding ring." He whispered.

"You're married!? In all the years we've worked together, how come I never knew that?" Tabok asked incredulously.

"'Cause I don't like to tell people. While the Brotherhood isn't strictly against it, they prefer to have breeding couples, you know, to make the next generation. My husband and I can't exactly do that." Damien replied somewhat shamefully.

"Husband? Oh…"

"Yeah…"

"Damien, I don't care if you're gay. It doesn't matter; you're a great squad leader and damn good friend. I'm happy for you, really."

Damien's smile returned, and grew much wider. He looked back up with more energy.

"You really mean that?"

"I do."

"You our friend." Phong added in.

"Thanks guys."

Tabok smiled, glad the comradery of the squad wasn't totally gone, despite everything that happened in the last month. However, the good mood faded quickly as Joyce walked over to them. Normally, Tabok would be happy to see her, but the expression on her face told him the battle was about to begin.

"Gentlemen, we have our orders: Flame Tanks are going to sneak up behind the enemy to create the distraction, while the rest of the force strikes the enemy armour. Our objective will be the GDI walkers. They pose the largest threat." Joyce reported.

"What about the target? That mutant woman?" Damien asked as he rose to his feet.

"Commander Slavik has sent a Shadow Team to locate her. Our job is to make sure they can get out by wiping out all defences."

"When do we attack?" Tabok asked.

Joyce was about to reply, but stopped when the Flame Tanks roared to life. They all turned to watch the vehicles disappear into the tunnel, which in turn caused the rest of the force to stir to life.

"Right now, Corporal. Let's bring the technology of peace down upon the mutant."

Tabok and the others followed Joyce as she led them forward. Nod infantry began marching across the barren fields towards the town. Meanwhile, Tick tanks and Attack Bikes rolled ahead of them, ready to meet the enemy in battle. As they drew closer, Tabok could see the line of defences more clearly. The pristine and uniformed GDI soldiers had separated themselves from the Forgotten, leaving their Titans guarded by only a handful of riflemen platoons. The Forgotten, on the other hand, were as ragged and beaten looking as the city itself. Looted Crusaders were covered in pieces of sheet metal and painted over with graffiti and mutant markings. Their soldiers, if they could be called that, were arranged in loose formations. It seemed as though neither side wanted to be working with each other, which caused Tabok to smile. Not even GDI wanted anything to do with the abominations.

The enemy had clearly spotted the Nod forces approaching, as they scrambled to get into position. But then Tabok spotted large pillars of black smoke beginning to rise within the city. The Forgotten quickly broke rank and began withdrawing into the city itself, leaving the GDI forces alone. Nod Ticks rushed forward as the Crusaders retreated, and quickly began engaging the Titans. As the first volley of shells began going off, Commander Slavik gave the order:

"_All forces, attack!"_

Attack Bikes rushed forward, weaving around the tanks as they traded fire with the Titans. The infantry surged forward, and Tabok had to run to keep up with the others. The GDI forces were in disarray as their Forgotten allies abandoned them, but they still managed to hold their own as Nod crashed against them. GDI riflemen quickly took positions behind concrete barricades and hastily made dugouts. Rifle and machine gun fire began cutting through the Nod ranks as they tried to close the gap.

Tabok and the others made their way towards a ditch that separated the fields from the city streets. They fired wild bursts as they ran, but mostly kept their heads down to try and avoid being shot. Tabok threw himself into the ditch, landing as a hailstorm of bullets chewed up the ground behind him. Joyce and the others quickly joined him, along with other Nod squads. Glancing out over the trench, Tabok could see the Ticks had stalled just outside of the city, unable to get passed the Titans. He also noticed the small Bikes being torn apart by machine gun fire, forcing them to fall back. Most of the heavy fire came from nearby, and Tabok tried to poke his head up to try and locate the source, but was forced back down as a burst of bullets nearly took off his head.

"_All Valkyri__e call sign__! Dragoon teams cannot advance to take out enemy Titans. We need those bunkers cleared!"_

"Valkyrie 1-1 copies! Moving to take out enemy bunker Charlie 3! Break. Okay ladies! Up and over!"

Tabok gulped nervously as the Nod infantry scrambled out of the ditch. They immediately came under fire from the dugout nearby, sufferingfrom heavy casualties. But Tabok knew if he stopped now, then he would surely get killed, so he kept running and praying. The Nod troops quickly closed the gap, taking cover behind the Forgotten's abandoned posts. Tabok and Damien found themselves behind a Hedgehog tank trap, and tried to huddle together to avoid being hit.

"Hey Corporal! You ever miss that old shithole back in Libya!?" Damien shouted.

"No, never! Cause being shot at beats that hellhole!"

"Ha! Good point!"

The two stood up from cover and fired at the dugout, hoping to suppress the enemy long enough to find better cover. Instead, they managed to draw the attention of the entire GDI squad, who immediately turned to fire on the pair. Tabok and Damien quickly ducked back down as the tank trap was pounded with bullets. Tabok recoiled as his foot was nearly hit by a stray round, but as he did, he spotted Joyce leading a charge towards the dugout. The fire slackened again, and Tabok shot back up to cover Joyce and her men. He fired a burst that shattered an enemy's helmet, causing him to collapse. Joyce and her men swiftly eliminated the rest of the enemy riflemen, clearing the position. Tabok and Damien jogged over and reached them just as Joyce reported their success.

"Valkyrie 1-1 to all Dragoon teams. Right flank secure!"

"_Valkyrie 4-2, left flank secure!"_

"_Copy that Valkyrie teams. Dragoons, you are clear to attack." _

Tabok watched the Bikes once again race across the field towards the enemy position. Most of the Titans were still standing, and were easily picking apart the Nod tanks. However, they had a much harder time hitting the smaller Bikes as they swerved through the battlefield. And without the cover of the infantry, the Bikes were able to get in close enough to destroy the Titans' legs. The massive war machines toppling over like a felled tree, hitting the ground with a loud crash. The remaining GDI forces fled as the Ticks were finally able to move, and the Bikes sped off to incite more carnage.

"_All Valkyrie units are to advance to grid seven seven Alpha three! Secure the intersection and defend the Tick tanks! Phalanx units are to secure grid __four niner foxtrot__! Create an opening for Shadow __Team__ exfiltration!" _

Joyce pulled up a tablet and began typing away. Damien moved closer to her and Tabok decided to follow suit. On the tablet was a layout of the city, divided into grids. Tabok quickly spotted the one they had been ordered to defend, located in the middle of a major intersection.

"We need to reach the intersection before the tanks do. The fastest route will be down this street, then we take a left here. We need to be careful though, the city will still be crawling with GDI and mutant troops."

Joyce put the tablet away as the others readied themselves to move on her order. Tabok gave her a quick wink, to which she replied with a mischievous grin, before barking out the order to move. The Nod platoon made their way down the deserted street, while other infantry units moved off to carry out their own objectives. The sounds of fighting began to grow louder in the distance as Nod pushed deeper into the city, forcing the Forgotten to fight back.

Tabok remained close to Joyce as they moved down the street. They were nearly upon the turn when a squad of GDI soldiers came running out from a side alley.

"Contact front!" Damien roared.

The Nod platoon opened fire, sending a wall of bullets down the street. The GDI squad was able to jump back into cover and quickly returned fire. Several Nod soldiers were shot dead as the platoon scattered.

Tabok fired off the rest of his magazine before he and Joyce took refuge behind a car. The vehicle shuddered as it was pelted by bullets, and the pair ducked further down as the windows shattered, raining glass on them.

"Not exactly the most romantic date, Wade." Joyce teased as she reloaded her rifle.

"What? You don't like getting shot at? Huh, who knew?"

"Oh, it's definitely exciting, but I was hoping for something traditional. You know, candle-lit dinner, flowers. Something to make a girl feel special."

Tabok just grinned as he moved around the car to fire, blasting a chunk out of wall as the GDI soldier jumped behind it.

"And where am I supposed to get candles and flowers?" Tabok asked.

"Okay, forget the candles and flowers. But after this is all over, how 'bout you come by my cabin? I managed to score some wine from one of Vega's officers."

"Really? How'd you manage that?"

Joyce didn't reply as she stood up to fire. She let off two bursts before sitting back down, just before the car was once again pelted with return fire.

"After the Commander…fired Vega's men, a lot of their possessions were taken as contraband. I just happened to be nearby to snag some up before the Loyalty Officers took it."

"Sounds like a date then."

The two shared a playful smile before both stood up to return fire. Tabok spotted a GDI soldier attempt to dart across the road to gain a better firing position and he promptly opened up. It took several bursts before he finally hit the man and sent him crashing to the curb. In the meantime, Joyce was ordering the rest of the platoon to push forward to route the enemy out. However, it proved to be unnecessary as the GDI squad abruptly came rushing out of cover.

"Enemy in the open!" Tabok hollered as he leveled his rifle.

The rest of his squad needed no further prompting: they all simultaneously opened up, cutting the GDI soldiers down in seconds.

"Well, that's was weird," Joyce noted as she reloaded. "Since when do GDI soldiers break cover like that?"

"Maybe they were trying to blitz us?" Tabok began to suggest, when a vicious growl echoed down the street. Without warning, a blur of black and green appeared out of nowhere and leapt onto a Nod soldier. The soldier barely had time to scream before his throat was ripped out. Two others who stood nearby raised their weapons to fire, but were suddenly perforated by shards of Tiberium. It all happened so quickly that it took Tabok's mind a minute to process what he was looking at. But when it finally clicked, he felt cold terror course through his body.

"TIBERIAN FIEND!"

"Kill it! Kill it!"

The entire platoon opened fire on the mutant beast, but the creature managed to dodge most of it as it leapt for another victim. Another soldier went down screaming as the Fiend tore into his chest. Tabok spotted Phong fire an entire magazine at the creature, but most of the rounds merely bounced off the creature's thick hide. The Fiend immediately turned, and Phong narrowly jumped out of the way as the beast vomited Tiberium shards at him.

Tabok aimed for the thing's head and fired, but missed as the beast unexpectedly leapt towards him!

The Fiend tackled Tabok to the ground, and it took all of his strength to keep the thing from biting off his neck. Acidic saliva dripped onto his armour as the Fiend tried to sink its razor-sharp teeth onto him. Tabok wanted to scream in terror as he was slowly losing the fight, but the Fiend's head abruptly exploded in a gruesome shower of gore. Tabok quickly shoved the dead creature off of him and scrambled to his feet. Damien stood nearby with his weapon still aimed at the Fiend.

"You okay Tabok?" Damien asked casually.

"Fuck me! I almost died! Fuck, uh, yeah…yeah, I think I'm okay." Tabok replied, breathless.

He finally got a good look at the thing. It looked like a massive black wolf, but with a leathery hide covered in matted fur and thick spikes of Tiberium sticking out from its entire back. The thing was utterly hideous, and it revolted him to think that the Forgotten kept these things as pets.

"Come on. We need to keep moving." Joyce ordered.

Tabok took a shuddering breath, then followed the others as they resumed walking down the street, leaving behind their dead and wounded. They rounded onto the next street, and could see the intersection up ahead. The sounds of fighting was growing more intense, and more pillars of smoke were rising into the sky, creating a hellish overcast.

The platoon began to slow as they entered the intersection. Joyce quickly ordered the various squads to take up defensive positions as she radioed in to Command.

"Command, this is Valkyrie 1-1. We have reached grid seven seven Alpha three. Area is clear."

"_Copy that 1-1. Be advised, you must hold that location until one of our Tick tanks can deploy and secure that position."_

"Understood. 1-1, out. Get comfortable people, we need to hold until our armour shows up."

Tabok just groaned as he rested by a large pile of rubble created when one of the Flame tanks burst out from the ground. He, along with Phong and Damien, all had their weapons pointed north of the intersection, while the other squads cover the remaining three directions. Tabok was more nervous than usual, given that he had no idea what would be coming towards them. It could be GDI riflemen, or Forgotten soldiers, or even more Fiends. He rubbed his left shoulder at that last thought, still feeling the pain of when the beast nearly killed him.

"Corporal, I need you to move over there." Damien ordered, pointing to a position across the street.

"Sure. Why though? It doesn't give me a clear line of sight." Tabok questioned.

"Not my problem. I just need you to get away from me 'cause you fucking stink."

Phong burst out laughing as Tabok inspected his armour. It was covered in viscous black blood, and once he disabled his helmet's rebreather, the smell hit him, hard.

"Merciful Messiah! Fuck!"

Damien joined in on the laughter as Tabok futilely tried to wipe the blood away. But it clung to his armour, no matter how hard he tried.

The laughter abruptly cut off as the sound of vehicle engines approached them. It took Tabok a few seconds to process that it was coming from the wrong direction. The three men aimed their weapons down the street, and spotted a company's worth of mutant soldiers charging down the street, ahead of an El Diablo light tank.

"Contacts! North side! North side!" Damien shouted.

The three men instantly opened fire on the mutants as they came within range. A moment later, the rest of the Nod platoon joined them, sending more rifle and machinegun fire down the street. Numerous mutants fell in the opening salvo, some scattering for cover, but others simply ignored the flying bullets and tried to shoot back. It was almost pitiful how poorly disciplined the Forgotten soldiers were, as they were cut down in droves. However, the mutants managed to rally into some semblance of a formation as the El Diablo opened up with its autocannon. A Nod soldier took a direct hit, and disappeared in a red mist.

"Destroy that tank!" Joyce shouted over the roar of battle.

A Nod Rocket trooper came rushing to the front, taking cover near Tabok and his squad. Another soldier appeared a moment later, tapping Tabok on his shoulder.

"Keep your head down guys! BACKBLAST CLEAR!"

"ROCKET!"

The Rocket trooper fired, and Tabok watched the rocket streak down the street and explode just in front of the vehicle. The El Diablo rolled to a stop just shy of the crater that had been made in the road, it rotated it turret towards them, and Tabok's eyes went wide in fear.

"Shit! Get down!" Tabok yelled as he pulled the Rocket trooper down with him.

The tank fired and the shell exploded against the pile of rubble, sending debris cascading down around them. As the dust settled, Tabok and the others rose to their feet to continue shooting at the advancing mutant forces. Emboldened by the presence of the tank, the mutants rushed into the open, only to be cut down by the Nod troops. But the Nod forces were driven into cover every time the tank fired, allowing the mutants to inch their way forward.

Tabok looked over to the Rocket trooper and his partner, and saw them trying to load another rocket into the launcher. The trooper stood up to fire but instantly fell back down, a Tiberium shard jutting through his faceplate. Tabok looked up in horror and spotted two Tiberian Fiends running towards the Nod lines, the beast foaming at the mouth.

"Shit! Focus down those Fiends!" Tabok shouted frantically.

He and the others unloaded on full auto, trying to hit the beasts. The Fiends were able to avoid most of the shots, and the ones they didn't, they simply shrugged off. The beasts were nearly upon the Nod line when the first one finally went down in a storm of bullets. The second, however, managed to leap over the barrier, and began tearing into the Nod soldier. The soldier died before he could even scream, but fortunately the Fiend was too preoccupied ripping apart its victim, that it was too slow to react to Tabok shoving his rifle into the things head and held down on the trigger. Blackish gore splattered across the ground, mixing with red human blood.

Tabok didn't have much time to relish in his kill though, as the El Diablo rolled forward, autocannon still chipping away at the Nod forces. Tabok reloaded his rifle, all the while watching as the Forgotten soldiers charged forward like a savage horde. He aimed his weapon and fired at the enemy tank, his bullets bouncing harmlessly off its metal plates. The El Diablo was nearly on top of them, but Tabok kept shooting, until the tank abruptly exploded, sending burning metal flying in a dozen directions.

Tabok turned around to see a Tick tank rolling towards them, and his heart soared. The Forgotten instantly broke rank and ran, making for easy targets for the Nod infantry. The Nod soldiers shouted insults and vows of holy vengeance at the mutants retreating forms, but Tabok just laughed mirthlessly as he rested on the pile of rubble. The Tick made its way into the center of the intersection, where it began to transform into its stationary configuration. A full platoon of Nod engineers arrived moments later, relieving the Nod infantry as they began fortifying the position. Tabok followed Damien and Phong, as they walked over to Joyce, who had called her platoon together.

"Good job everyone. That was one hell of a fight. Orders are to remain here and hold this position, keep the Forgotten or GDI from outflanking us."

"How long do we have to hold for, Staff Sergeant?" A Nod sergeant asked.

"Until the Shadow Teams can extract the target. So for now we-"

"ENEMEY TANK!"

The platoon immediately rushed back to the north side of the intersection, only to find the Forgotten company had returned, along with a Crusader tank.

"How long until the Tick is ready?" Joyce shouted.

"It still needs a few minutes!" One of the engineers replied.

"Fuck! Hold the line! In the name of Kane!"

"Peace through power!"

The Nod forces once more fired down the street, cutting the mutants down like stalks of wheat. But the machine gun on the Crusader was able to reap its own bloody harvest, as it cut through the Nod troops. The tank's main cannon fired, exploding the street directly in front of the Tick. But the Nod tank still did not return fire, as it was still in the process of deploying. Tabok and his squad did the only thing they could and kept fighting.

"Wade! See if you can take out that gunner! Phong and I will cover!" Damien shouted.

Tabok responded by giving a thumbs up as he reloaded. Damien and Phong rose to their feet and fired staggered bursts. Tabok shot up to his feet and took aim at the gunner, but before he could fire off a single shot, the tank fired again. The shell once again missed the Tick, but it exploded in the midst of a squad of engineers, turning them all into a pile of bloody pulp. Tabok gritted his teeth and fired a burst at the gunner, but his shots just sparked off the Crusader's turret. The gunner then swiveled around to face him, and Tabok knew that he would die here and now.

But death never came, as the Forgotten Crusader took a direct hit from the Tick. Sparks and smoke began pouring out of the entry hole, before the entire tank exploded a moment later. Tabok stood there like a deer caught in headlights, as the Forgotten were mowed down while the tank burned. It wasn't until Phong slapped him on the back that he finally broke from his stupor.

"Kane clearly has plan for you. Destiny on your side." Phong said ominously.

Tabok just shook his head and looked around at the carnage. The Forgotten had exacted a much higher toll during their second attack, as evident by the engineer platoon as they slowly returned to their jobs, while the apothecaries went about seeing to the wounded. He noticed Joyce looking towards him, before turning and raising a hand to her ear. The look that passed over her face told him that this day was about to get longer.

"Platoon, form up! We have a problem: Command has just informed me that the Shadow Team failed and is now KIA. Our unit is the closest to the train station, and CABAL has confirmed the target is attempting to flee by train. So we need to get moving - double time!"

Joyce wasted no time before she set off down the street, past the mutant corpses. Tabok quickly ran after her, with the rest of the platoon only a step behind. They traveled deeper into the city, moving away from the sounds of battle. The drab and shabby apartment complexes began to give way to nice housing units and even shopping centers. It was still nothing compared to the stories Tabok had heard of GDI cities, of gleaming towers of glass and buildings that could house hundreds if not thousands, but instead were used for entertainment or shops. He dreamed of the day they could take one of these cities, to spread the wealth amongst the downtrodden people that Nod cared for.

Tabok was broken from his thoughts at the sound of gunfire up ahead. Joyce motioned for the platoon to stop as she consulted her tablet.

"There shouldn't be any units in this area." She said as Tabok walked up to her.

"The Shadow Team maybe?" Tabok offered.

"No. Command reported them as KIA. I don't know who's shooting at what, but we need to keep moving."

Joyce motioned for the platoon to move, and they all set off down the street. The further they went, the more the sounds of panicked shouting and yelling could be heard. Eventually, the platoon rounded a corner, and found themselves on a street covered in ash and soot, the result of entire buildings having been burnt down to their foundations, with many still spewed black smoke into the air. The blackened remains of one of the Flame tanks was nearby, destroyed before it could move too far from its exit hole.

The platoon walked around the burnt tank, kicking up dust as they walked through the layer of ash. The sounds of shouting grew in intensity, and another burst of gunfire went off. The platoon inched forward towards a large open field in the middle of the city, where GDI soldiers were protecting an Orca transport as civilians shoved their way onboard. Mutant civilians were swarming around the GDI soldiers, trying to get onboard as well, but they kept getting pushed back, followed by a soldier firing into the air. The Nod soldiers watched in morbid amusement as the Forgotten and GDI turned on each other. The mutants began growing more desperate as the transports engines flared to life, and the human civilians rushed onboard. Molotov cocktails suddenly exploded against the GDI soldiers, causing many to stumble backwards, and created a hole in the wall. Mutants rushed forward, hoping to get onboard, only to be cut down in the blink of an eye.

Tabok reeled back in shock as he witnessed a GDI Wolverine stomped forward, its Vulcan cannons chewing through the mutants. The mutants fled just as the transport lifted off, leaving behind everyone who couldn't fit inside. The humans looked lost, seeing their only escape leaving, and seeing the mutants having been cut down so cruelly. The Wolverine stomped forward, and the soldiers tried to usher the civilians in the direction of the train station.

"Fucking fascists. We're going to need to get past that Wolverine. Does anyone have any magnetic grenades?"

"I do." Damien said, while tossing her two grenades.

Joyce caught both and quickly placed them on her belt, she then looked at Tabok, who immediately felt a pit growing in his stomach.

"Corporal Tabok, you're with me. We're going to get close and kill that Wolverine. Sergeant Damien, take the platoon and wait for my signal. I want you to take out the fascist troops."

"Understood."

"Come on Wade, let's go."

Joyce darted towards several civilian buses parked nearby, leaving Tabok to chase after her. They both took cover closer to the GDI forces still standing guard where the transport had been, as the Wolverine patrolled the field.

"Remind me why we are doing this?" Tabok whispered.

"Because we need to get past that walker to reach the train station."

"No, I get that. But why do _we_ specifically have to take that thing down?"

"Because I said so. Now get ready to cover me."

Tabok snapped his mouth shut and simply gripped his rifle in anticipation. Joyce gave a subtle nod to Damien, who then ordered the platoon to engage. The Nod troops fired on the GDI soldiers, sending them scattering for cover. The Wolverine quickly turned around and began stomping back towards them, its Vulcan cannons spinning up.

"Now's our chance. Come on!"

Joyce ran across the field towards the Wolverine, keeping low to avoid being hit by either GDI or her own men. Tabok broke from cover and fired random bursts towards the enemy, keeping them pinned down. The Wolverine was still focused on Damien and the others, and thus didn't notice Joyce run right up between its legs. She quickly placed the magnetic grenades on the right leg, then ran back towards the Nod platoon, with Tabok right behind her. They made it back just as the grenades went off, blowing the leg apart and causing the walker to topple forward. It crashed into the ground with a mighty thud, and, upon seeing the walker neutralized, the GDI soldiers fled back towards the train station. Tabok barely had a minute to catch his breath before Joyce had the platoon moving again.

The lone platoon made the trek through the city, now thoroughly deserted, with heavy fighting far off. Despite this, they remained cautious of ambush from either GDI or the Forgotten. But it remained a quiet trek through the streets, with the enemy either engaged with friendly forces, or seemingly having fled. It seemed to be the latter, as Tabok spotted more Orca transports and even V-22 Ospreys leaving the city. Seeing more transports leave caused the platoon to pick up their pace, fearing their target might escape.

The platoon rounded a series of high rise housing units, and came into view of the train station. It was a simple open platform, large enough to accommodate numerous passengers. However it was completely empty, save for five people. Two were mutants, one of which was their target. The other three were two GDI soldiers, and an officer. The GDI troops were clearly in a standoff with the mutants, but they all turned as the Nod platoon approached them, weapons raised.

"Drop your weapons! Now!" Joyce ordered.

The GDI troops slowly put the weapons down, but the mutants glared defiantly before tossing their weapons away. The Nod soldiers quickly moved in to secure the prisoners, while Joyce marched straight for the mutant woman.

"You're coming with us, freak."

"Fuck you zealot."

"You there. You clearly are in charge, correct?" The GDI officer began. "I am Commander Aubrey, I am in command of the city garrison. I demand that you allow safe passage for the civilians and for my men out of the city. If you do, I offer my surrender."

"How noble." Joyce scoffed before firing a bullet through the Commander's eye. The man toppled over with a look of shock forever etched on his face. His bodyguards were cut down a split second later, their blood pooling and flowing onto the tracks below. The mutants watched with disinterest with the female even smiling slightly.

"Do you nut-jobs really think you can hold me for long?" The mutant woman sneered.

Joyce just stared daggers at the woman, and Tabok could feel the raw hate pouring off of her. Damien moved up behind the mutant and clubbed her in the back of the head with his rifle. She collapsed to the platform, unconscious. Her guard looked as though he was ready to attack, but Tabok put a burst through his chest, killing the mutant outright.

"Bind this Shiner up." Joyce barked as she reached for her radio. "Command, this is Valkyrie 1-1. Objective complete, target is secure. Awaiting extraction."

"_Solid copy. ETA, three mikes, over."_

"Copy Command. 1-1 out."

Tabok walked over to the edge of the platform, looking out into the distance as explosions and gunfire still went off. Joyce joined him a few moments later, they stood in silence, watching as another battle was won, as another city burned.

"So. About our date tonight. You definitely are going to need to shower if you want to be even ten feet from me." Joyce said playfully.

"Maybe you could…help me shower?" Tabok replied suavely.

"On any other night, I would. But you fucking stink Wade." Joyce laughed as she walked away, and Tabok just sighed in frustration.

A subterranean APC arrived several minutes later, and with the prisoner secured onboard, the Brotherhood left New Detroit to burn behind them.

… … …

When Slavik was a boy, he, like all other boys and girls living within the Brotherhood of Nod, were taught that mutants were the worst sinners imaginable. People so evil, they had been rejected by Tiberium, twisted and mutated to reflect their heinous sins. As Slavik grew older, he saw past the rhetoric of such teachings. But staring at the mutant within the interrogation cell, he could see why they were taught to believe such things. She was savage, even beastly looking, with Tiberium protrusions marking her as a reject of Divination. It churned Slavik's stomach to look at her, but she knew where GDI's Tacitus research base was, and he would get what he wanted from her.

"Sickening specimen." Oxana hissed from beside him.

"But strong nonetheless." Slavik mused in return, as he reached down to the intercom.

"I will not ask again, mutant. Where is the research facility?"

Umagon did not reply. Instead she kept her head held low. Slavik almost admired the mutant for her tenacity, but unfortunately for her, he was growing tired of waiting.

"Your people have prospered thanks to the Technology of Peace. Why would you resist the Brotherhood?"

"Divination is a lie! You are killing my people! Heh, not that you would know that, puppet. Kane uses you for his own amusement."

"I've heard enough. Terminate the bitch!" Oxana seethed.

"No. Belay that."

"Wait, what is she doing?"

Umagon rolled her head back, as if looking up at the ceiling, while also bunching up her right shoulder. Panic immediately began to set in, as he understood exactly what she was trying to do.

"She's pressing her Carotid artery against her spine."

"She'll pass out."

"She'll die. Get in there and stop her!"

Two Black Hand soldiers rushed into the interrogation room. One soldier ran up to Umagon, only to have his legs swept out suddenly, sending him to crash to the ground. The second raised his rifle, but a blade appeared in his throat a split second later. It all happened so quickly, but Slavik knew instantly what the mutant had been planning. She had somehow kept a blade hidden on herself, broken her bindings, and relied on Slavik's need of her to have him send guards inside. He smiled as he watched her escape, swiftly moving down the halls of the Montauk.

"We need to stop her!" Oxana said drawing her weapon.

"No. She could lead us right to the enemy. Let her go."

Oxana looked as though she would disobey and chase after Umagon. But with a sigh, she returned her pistol to its holster and together, they watched the mutant escape.

Now it would be a matter of time before she led them to Kane's prize. Then, Slavik could claim it for himself.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

"_...And force, my friends, is violence. The supreme authority from which all other authorities are derived."  
\- Robert A. Heinlein, Starship Troopers_

**Texas, U.S.A.**

**September 25****th****, 2030**

**1400**

The Chaplain walked up and down the cramped space of the Reckoner, shouting out his sermon as the Nod soldiers raced into battle.

"Peace through the power of our faith!"

"Peace through power!" The gathered soldiers shouted in unison.

"Peace through the power of our armies!"

"Through the technology of peace!"

"Peace through the power of our unity!"

"One vision, one purpose!"

The Reckoner came to a screeching halt just as the Chaplain finished his sermon. As the ramp lowered and light poured in, the Chaplain marched forward.

"For the glory of-"

The Chaplain's chest exploded as he was riddled with bullets. The Nod soldiers wasted no time as they rushed out of the APC, over the man's body. Wade Tabok stepped out into hell. The field around him was awash in flame and death as the Nod army pushed against the large GDI base. Tick tanks and light vehicles advanced against a wall of bunkers and defence turrets, as enemy Aegis tanks and Titans tried to halt their advance. Infantry swarmed against the walls of the base, supported by Nod Harpy gunships, only to meet machine gun fire.

The Brotherhood was trying to push it's way inside and find the Tacitus research facility. Commander Slavik had made it quite clear that Kane himself had demanded the facility's destruction.

Tabok broke from his stupor and followed behind Damien and Joyce as they led the troops across the battlefield. More bullets and grenades impacted around them as GDI forces attempted to stop them from reaching the beleaguered Nod attackers. Tabok tried to take in everything while he ran, and nearly tripped over a ruined Attack Bike for his effort.

More Harpies raced overhead, but were quickly chased by Orcas and GDI Hammerheads. Groups of Scorpion tanks had fallen back from the push against the wall to deal with the swarms of Wolverines that now threatened to tear through the infantry.

It was pure chaos, and Tabok felt his mind screaming at him to run away and hide. Because no same man would run _towards_ all this hell. But run forward he did, and eventually he saw the cluster of Nod mortars that Joyce was leading them to. The platoon quickly fell into the dugout the mortar teams had made, just as a Wolverine explode nearby. Tabok found himself close to Joyce as she began talking with the officer in charge of the mortars.

"Warrant Officer! Staff Sergeant Joyce, Black Hand, 2nd Fusiliers. What's the situation?"

"Target enemy bunker. Grid Echo four four Lima two!" The Warrant Officer shouted, ignoring Joyce.

"Officer!"

"I heard you! Wait one. Target, enemy Vulcan cannon. Grid November seven eight Juliet seven!"

The mortars continued to fire at the targets the Warrant Officer was listing off. Tabok watched the mortars streak over the battlefield, before exploding somewhere behind enemy lines.

"Sorry, Staff Sergeant, but things are obviously hectic right now! If we don't get past this line of bunkers soon, we could lose this whole damned battle! Our tanks are having a hell of a time advancing, and our infantry can't get past the bunkers. But I have one company that managed to make a breach. They're currently pinned down at Bunker Delta. Take your men and help out Foxtrot Company!"

"Understood! Black Hand, advance!"

Joyce quickly led her men out of the dugout, and Tabok followed close behind, just as another salvo of mortars were fired. The platoon once more darted across the battlefield, keeping behind the line of Tick and Scorpion tanks as they traded fire with GDI Aegis'.Other infantry units ran past them, moving off to other objectives.

Tabok's heart was pounding, and he hadn't even fired off a single shot yet. However his opportunity to do so was rapidly approaching, as he could see Bunker Delta just up ahead. It was the only bunker in the entire defensive line that had fallen to Nod control; a ruined Aegis, several Wolverines, and Nod Buggies stood as markers of the fierce fighting that had taken place. Gunfire could be heard coming from within, although it was directed inside the enemy base, rather than towards the attacking Nod army.

Joyce motioned for the platoon to move slowly, as she approached the large blasted opening. As she got close to the bunker, she yelled out the challenge word.

"Epsilon!"

"Cobalt!"

Upon hearing the proper response, Joyce led the platoon into the bunker. Tabok immediately noticed the pile of dead GDI and Nod soldiers in the corner, all of them stripped of ammo. The remnants of Foxtrot Company were in the midst of a heated gun battle with GDI soldiers attempting to retake the bunker.

"Staff Sergeant, get your men up here!" A Nod soldier shouted.

Tabok didn't need any further direction from Joyce as he, Phong, and Damien quickly took up position with the other soldiers. Tabok spotted a GDI grenadier and fired a burst into the man's chest, sending him crashing to the ground. The GDI soldiers began to falter at the sudden increase of fire, and fell back into cover behind broken pieces of concrete and piles of rubble.

"Keep firing! Drive the oppressors back!"

Tabok tossed a grenade behind a pile of rubble, causing several GDI soldiers to scramble. He quickly aimed and fired, taking down a few, while his squad took out the rest. Other Nod soldiers quickly cut down the enemy infantry, and within moments, the GDI troops began retreating.

"The enemy runs! Ha! Cowards!" A Nod soldier cheered.

"Hold your positions! The enemy will be back soon, so stock up on ammo now." Foxtrot Company's CO cautioned.

Tabok left his position and moved deeper into the bunker to grab ammunition for his squad. As he did, he managed to overhear Joyce talking over the radio.

"Command, this is Valkyrie 1-1. Bunker Delta is secured, but we will need additional forces. Please advise?"

"_Our forces are still engaged with enemy defences. But we are attempting to get the rest of the 2__nd__ Fusiliers to you. Maintain position, and keep that breach open."_

"Understood. We-"

"The enemy is coming back! More infantry and a Wolverine!"

"Command, we have enemy armour! We need help!"

"_Hang on Valkyrie 1-1. Airstrike is inbound. ETA, six mikes!"_

"Shit!"

Joyce quickly raced back to the line and Tabok followed. He fell in with his squad and quickly passed out the additional magazines as the Nod soldiers opened fire. GDI troops rushed to retake the positions they had abandoned earlier. The Wolverine slowly lumbered forward, and Tabok knew as soon as that thing opened fire, it would be all over. Regardless, he kept shooting along with the others, taking down what enemies he could.

The Wolverine finally began to spool up its Vulcan cannons, and the Nod troops quickly dove for cover. The bunker walls were chewed apart by the heavy calibre rounds, which sent a rain of fine powder and chunks of concrete raining onto Tabok and the others. No one could get up to fire on the enemy, least they be turned into a fine red paste. This unfortunately allowed for the GDI troops to rush forward and get in close.

Tabok kept low, but readied his weapon for when the GDI troops would storm the bunker. They came a moment later: just as the Wolverine stopped firing, the first few troops vaulted over the ruined walls. Immediately Tabok and the others opened fire, spraying their legs with gunfire, and sending the enemy soldiers collapsing to the floor, where Joyce and a few others gave the killing blow.

More GDI troops rushed in, more cautious than their predecessors. Several Nod soldiers were shot dead where they lay, looking as though they had simply gone to sleep. Tabok tried to backpedal towards the center of the bunker, firing as he went. The GDI soldiers pushed into the bunker as the Nod forces began a fighting retreat to the center of the bunker.

Tabok took up position behind a crate along with Phong and Damien, the three men resting their rifles on the crate, ready for the enemy's push. The GDI soldiers emerged a few moments later, ready to rush in and finish off the Nod forces. Tabok was about to pull the trigger, when the first wave of GDI troops disappeared in a flash of fire and smoke. The second wave suddenly scrambled away from the bunker.

Tabok stood up to go see what was happening. GDI soldiers were shouting and firing their weapons into the sky, just as the Wolverine was destroyed by a rocket. A Nod Harpy gunship appeared from overhead, autocannons and rockets raining death on the enemy. Joyce quickly rallied the Nod troops back to the bunker walls, and they began to fire on the GDI soldiers desperately fighting for their lives.

The enemy once again retreated, pursued by the Harpy as they ran. Tabok fired a few bursts at their retreating forms, killing several before they made it out of range. With the enemy once again gone, the Nod forces had a brief moment to collect themselves, and ready for the next attack. Tabok turned to see Joyce and Foxtrot Company's CO discussing something, when a loud explosion from outside caused everyone to whirl around to look.

The Harpy had been hit by something, and was spiraling out of control, before crashing somewhere deeper in the base. Seconds later, two Orcas swooped by, flying off out of view. With their air support gone, the Nod troops steeled themselves for another fight.

"Command, Valkyrie 1-1. We need AA support at Bunker Delta. Enemy Orcas just took out our Harpy!"

"_Copy that Valkyrie 1-1. We have a SPAAG and two more squads moving to your position."_

Tabok kept his eyes forward, waiting for GDI troops to show up. None ever did, but he did watch as two Hammerheads passed by overhead, wing mounted Vulcan cannons firing at something nearby. Eventually, tracer rounds started flying over the bunker, and a Nod Tunguska came rolling up to their position, driving through the breach in the outer wall and taking up position amongst the rubble. More Nod soldiers arrived, quickly taking the position of the Black Hand and the men of Foxtrot, giving them a brief moment to rest before being thrown back into the fighting.

Joyce walked over to Tabok and his squad, with the company CO in tow. Tabok and the others shot to their feet, knowing they were about to be asked to do something.

"I had an MG squad set up in that building before we got hit. We lost contact and I haven't heard anything from them in awhile. I need someone to go to their position, confirm if they are KIA, and retrieve any equipment. We'll need it if we are going to hold this position." The CO ordered.

"Understood. We're on it." Damien replied.

"Good. Come back here the moment you spot trouble."

With that, the CO and Joyce walked off, but not before Joyce gave Tabok a sad smile. Tabok and the others simply gathered their gear and slowly made their way across the base towards the building the MG squad had been in. Tabok looked out to the rest of the base, with gunfire and explosions still singing the song of the ferocious battle raging on.

GDI would soon learn that the Brotherhood would stop at nothing, so long as their Messiah ordered it.

… … …

"Withdraw our Harpies. The enemy still maintains air superiority." Slavik commanded smoothly.

The officers around the Montauk's bridge silently carried out their orders, as the chaos of war was displayed before them.

"You should not be so concerned with their lives. These men shall gladly die if you order them to." CABAL chided from the ceiling.

"They die because they believe in their Messiah. Believe in the Brotherhood. You would do well to remember that, machine." Slavik retorted.

"Of course." CABAL replied smugly, but otherwise remained silent.

Slavik ignored the machine and focused on the battle before him. He had attacked the GDI base with everything he had, for Kane had been adamant about the facility - and the knowledge it might contain - be destroyed. No one, especially not GDI, were allowed to access the secrets of the Tacitus. Which was all the more reason that Slavik needed to get into that facility.

However GDI had put up a fierce resistance, and after nearly three hours of fighting, Nod forces had only managed to take a single bunker.

"_Command, this is Valkyrie 1-1. I have a platoon of GDI Rangers assaulting our position! I need more troops to hold this bunker!" _Staff Sergeant Joyce's voice crackled over the popping of rifle fire.

"Lieutenant Kristos, redirect more forces to Bunker Delta."

"Already on it sir. I have two heavy weapons squads and a Cyborg unit on route." Oxana reported.

"Excellent. But we are going to need to create another opening."

Slavik studied the map laying before him. His armoured forces were still engaged at the base's front gate, trading fire with the enemy walkers and tanks while his infantry fought to claim the line of bunkers and static defences. The base was well guarded, and the only way in was through the front. However, Slavik was not about to commit his men to a slaughter by throwing them in like human waves, not like the other Nod commanders would have done. He was hoping if he kept probing the breach at Delta, then he could break through, but it would seem he would need to punch more holes into GDI. He needed to make them bleed more.

All along the base perimeter were ten bunkers, Alpha through to Juliet. Each bunker also controlled a portion of the turrets and other defences the base was utilizing. It was an impressive fortress, but as Slavik studied the map, he noticed one fatal flaw.

"Order Tank Group Obsidian to focus on Bunker India. We need to make another breach."

Out in the field, four Tick tanks rolled from their position and moved towards the bunker. A single Titan and two Vulcan cannons were all that stood in their way, but Slavik knew GDI would have a rapid response force ready for them. But he had a plan to deal with them as well.

"Redeploy Tank Group Phantom to support Obsidian. Tell them to wait for the GDI RRF to arrive before engaging."

His officers carried out his orders efficiently while, out in the field, his soldiers performed their duty with zeal and honour. Slavik watched these men fight for the cause; fight because they had nothing to lose, but everything to gain. And that was why the Brotherhood would win, for they fought for ideals greater than themselves.

As Slavik had been deep in thought, the four Ticks had engaged the defences around Bunker India. Two Vulcan turrets were up in flames, and the Titan walker was taking a heavy beating. But just as Slavik had predicted, a rapid response force of several Aegis tanks and Pitbull reconnaissance vehicles rushed towards the bunker as well. Slavik just smiled, as a predator would before pouncing on its prey, just before the GDI forces were abruptly bombarded by a salvo of missiles.

Pitbulls were sent flying as huge gouges were wrought through the Aegis'. Several Nod Stealth Tanks appeared, seemingly from thin air, before launching another salvo. As the enemy tanks struggled to turn to face the new threat, the Ticks had begun ripping into the bunker itself, sending large chunks of Tiberium enforced concrete tumbling to the ground. Another breach had been formed, and now was the time to exploit it.

"I want two full companies to secure that bunker! Once we secure both India and Delta, we can begin our push into the base itself." Slavik commanded.

"Sir! Enemy forces are beginning to fall back from the bunkers. They appear to be retreating to a second defensive line, further in the base." Oxana quickly reported.

Slavik watched the GDI forces begin a fighting retreat into the base, abandoning the bunkers and even outer structures such as war factories and barracks. He spotted the second line of defence around the Tacitus facility itself which was another tall concrete wall guarded by turrets and pillboxes, as well as more Aegis' and Titans.

It would seem the GDI commander had also noticed the flaw in his defence: the line of bunkers created the perfect fortification, but the inner base had become a sprawling mass of military infrastructure and civilian facilities, effectively making it difficult for the rapid response force to react quickly to multiple breaches.

"Press the attack! Our objective is within our reach!"

"_Tank Group Jade is advancing!"_

"_Foxtrot Company is Oscar Mike." _

"_This is Valkyrie 6-6! We're encountering light resistance still in the base." _

Slavik heard the various reports flooding the radio, but he paid them little attention. His focus was solely on the Tacitus facility, and the prize contained within.

"CABAL. I want all the information you have on the Tacitus." Slavik suddenly ordered.

"Negative. You do not have the clearance." CABAL replied in his usual condescending tone.

"I am the commander of the Black Hand of Kane. I have the right to know what the device is."

"Only Kane and myself are allowed to know."

"Dammit machine! I will not be denied! Not now!" Slavik roared, drawing the unwanted attention of his staff.

"Watch your tone Commander, for it borders on heresy."

"Tell me what it is my men die for. What I have fought so hard to retrieve."

CABAL was silent for a moment, long enough for Slavik to send an icy glare to his staff that told them to return to work.

"It is the key." CABAL said cryptically.

"I need more than that, machine."

"That is all you need to know. Nod's ascension is dependent upon the Tacitus."

Slavik slumped back into his throne. Was the Tacitus really that important? That all of the Brotherhood's core tenants really rested upon this one simple device? If that was the case, then it was more valuable than Slavik realized, perhaps enough that Kane would grant him all the power in the Brotherhood. And if Slavik planned properly, rulership of Nod itself.

"I see. Then relay a message to all of our warriors. Tell them that they do not fight to slaughter infidels, that they do not fight to destroy some heathen compound. Tell them they fight for the very future of Nod! That today, they fight for Ascension itself!"

The officers shouted out in unison as they relayed the message, one Slavik knew would compel his forces to fight with even greater conviction. CABAL simply gave a dismissive snort before his avatar disappeared.

Slavik watched his forces surge into the GDI base, burning everything in their path as they stormed towards the facility. GDI forces stood ready, but made no move to hinder his troops. That was, until a rainstorm of missiles fell upon the vanguard forces. Tanks and soldiers were ripped apart as the base briefly became obstructed by a cloud of fire and smoke.

Slavik shot to his feet, ready to demand to know what happened, until the smoke cleared enough that he got his answer. Behind the row of walkers and tanks, were several M300 Hover MLRS. The hovering artillery units fired a second salvo, and more Nod forces were destroyed before they began to fall back.

Slavik sunk back into the throne, a thin smile on his face. He had to commend the infidels for their stubborn desire to defy him.

"Redeploy our Harpies. Utilize them to destroy the enemy artillery." Slavik ordered.

Two squads of Harpies once more raced out into the battle, no longer worried about enemy Orcas or Hammerheads as they had seemingly flown off to resupply. With enemy AA gone, his gunships should have no issue destroying the enemy M300s. However, GDI had one more trick up their sleeve.

Several M300s broke from the rest of the line. At first, Slavik bore them no mind as they were near identical to their brethren, but then he noticed their missiles pods were tracking his gunships. Before he could react, missiles began streaking away from the M300s, and raced up to meet his Harpies. Several were shot down instantaneously, while the others broke away, leaving behind a trail of chaff.

"Since when do MLRS's act as anti-air!?" Oxana exclaimed.

"CABAL, what do we know of these new weapons?"

"Our intel is limited, but it would seem the enemy has two variants of the hover vehicle."

"Then we will need another tactic."

Slavik quickly ordered his forces to secure the base and await further orders. It created a stalemate as both sides stared each other down, neither willing to move. No doubt the GDI commander was holding out for reinforcements, so time was not on Slavik's side. The base was also well guarded against subterranean attacks, so that removed CABAL's cyborg ambush.

Slavik smiled as he formulated a plan. Battles were not always won by tons of tanks, or advanced weapons, or masses of loyal soldiers. Sometimes battles were won by more surgical means.

"Contact Staff Sergeant Joyce. Tell her to suit up: I have a mission for her."

… … …

During the brief downtime they had in between battles, Tabok and his squad had received a crash course in advanced Black Hand training. One such training was in the proper operation of stealth suits, commonly used by Shadow Team operators. The form fitting black suit felt snug and light, nothing like the heavy weight of his armour. It also allowed Joyce's feminine features to be displayed more prominently, something he certainly wasn't complaining about.

"Hopefully we can keep these suits after the battle. You look good in it." Tabok said with a wink.

"Focus on the mission, Corporal. I don't need you distracted." Joyce replied with her own playful smirk.

Tabok smiled as he pulled the mask over his face, forgoing the protection of his combat helmet and armour. The others likewise finished dawning their suits, and now they all checked over their weapons, having replaced the standard Excaliburs for silenced M4A1 SOPMODs.

Tabok knew they were working against the clock. Both armies were still stalemated, and it was only a matter of time before enemy reinforcements showed up. He just hoped the small strike team would be enough.

"Everyone geared up and ready?" Joyce asked.

The ten man team all gave a silent acknowledgment. Joyce nodded her head before activating the suit's stealth system, and disappeared from sight, aside from a faint shimmering outline that gave her away. The rest of the team activated their suits, and proceeded towards the line of GDI defences.

Tabok didn't notice he was holding his breath until he felt a pain in his chest. He slowly let his breath out, as he carefully walked towards the enemy, hoping that he didn't accidentally bump into a team mate, or cause his suit to fail.

They came up to the line of defences: tanks and turrets keeping a vigilant watch on the Nod forces encircled around them. Behind that was the pillboxes and makeshift barricades where the enemy infantry waited. Joyce angled them towards an AAPC where a machine gun crew had deployed behind a sandbag barricade. Tabok walked ever so slowly, eyes wide in amazement as he walked so closely passed the troops, he could reach out and tap them.

The team carefully picked their way around the GDI soldiers so as not to accidentally kick something or make a noise. Moving around the unsuspecting enemy as they were in the midst of a conversation.

"When do you think they'll attack?" A scrawny looking private asked.

"Dunno; just hope the air boys from the 22nd show up soon." A larger corporal replied.

"But we got those Noddies scared shitless!" Another private added.

Tabok just smiled as the team walked past the crew and deeper into the base. Joyce angled the team towards the closest M300 Hover MLRS. The wash from its turbine fans caused Tabok to stumble as the team pushed closer. Eventually the wash became so strong, that he noticed Joyce's and two other's suit's stealth systems begin to flicker. He went to warn Joyce, but it proved unnecessary as the suit finally failed, however they were too close to the vehicle for the crew to notice.

Two Black Hand soldiers quickly began placing C4 charges underneath the M300, while Tabok and the others kept watch for enemy troops. But GDI had clearly not expected Nod troops to sneak behind their line, so they encountered no issues as they moved down the line of M300s.

The team was approaching the final MLRS when a Pitbull suddenly raced towards them. The team stood still as they waited to see what the vehicle would do.

Tabok sighed in relief as the vehicle passed and parked next to the M300. Three men hopped out, all of which had the markings of high ranking officers. Tabok crept forward until he came up to the faint outline that he recognized as Joyce, and crouched down beside her, both their rifles at the ready.

"What the hell are those crazy bastards up to?" One man, clearly the base commander, asked.

"They haven't moved much in the past twenty minutes, sir. It just buys us more time until Commander McNeil arrives." A GDI major responded.

"I'm half tempted to go out there and kick these bastards out myself. To hell with McNeil." The Commander seethed.

"That wouldn't be wise, sir. Orders are to wait and keep the facility safe." The Major cautioned.

Tabok tried to control his breathing as he waited for some kind of direction from Joyce. But it was nearly impossible to see her. The GDI Commander and his retinue remained where they were, watching the Nod forces. Finally, Joyce tapped his shoulder, which told him one thing: shoot to kill.

Joyce fired a burst that barely made any sound, and the GDI Commander crashed to the ground in a spray of blood. Tabok fired immediately after, killing both the major and the other officer behind him. Suddenly the Pitbull driver and another GDI soldier hopped out and rushed over to the Commander, rifles swaying erratically as they searched for the killers, unawares that they were literally only a few feet from them.

Joyce and Tabok both fired another burst, killing the enemy soldiers. Then two Black Hand troops raced past to the M300 to place the charges. Tabok watched Joyce's form slink over to the dead Commander, and began searching his body. Tabok just moved back to the faint shimmering that indicated his squad.

A squad of GDI soldiers, along with several medics, came running towards them, their path leading themstraight into the Black Hand team. Damien opened fire with a wild spray of bullets that took down the three medics. The riflemen quickly stopped and looked around, before Tabok and Phong filled them full of lead.

Tabok nearly jumped when Joyce's voice whispered over the radio.

"_All units, fall back to a safe position. Command, charges are set. Detonating in five mikes, Valkyrie 1-1 out." _

Tabok followed his squad towards a HEMTT that sat alone near a supply depot. Three GDI soldiers stood around, rifles clutched tightly, as word must have gotten out that their commander had just been killed. Tabok just smiled as all three men went down without a sound, and the Black Hand team took up position around the vehicle.

"_All units, hold here. We remain hidden until further ordered. Command, come in.__ Detonation in three…two…one."_

Tabok breathed, and the whole world lit up brighter than the sun. The row of M300s exploded in a violent fireball that shook the very ground itself. Secondary explosions only caused the fire to expand, and it sent GDI forces scrambling. The intense heat and light caused the stealth suits to fizzle out, but it hardly mattered, for the enemy was far too distracted by the raging inferno behind them.

And the mass of Nod tanks barreling down in front of them.

… … …

Slavik kept his face passive, but inwardly, he was as giddy as a child as he watched the fire and smoke waft into the sky. And even more excitedly, watched as his forces pounce on the enemy. Aegis tanks and Titan walkers were pummeled by his own Ticks and Scorpions as they led the charge. Turrets and pillboxes burst apart as Stealth Tanks and rocket troopers fired their missiles. Infantry stormed the line of crumbling barricades, with many soldiers taking the pathetic infidels who surrendered for the confessor's tithe.

His prize was finally within reach. With the information stored within that facility, he could at last challenge Kane. No more chasing after one errand or another, no more being left in the dark to the Messiah's plans. Slavik had been the one to end the Reunification War and bring the Brotherhood back together, and he would damn well be the one to lead it to victory against GDI. With or without Kane.

"Order Joyce and her forces to capture the facility. And move Tank Group Obsidian to form a defensive perimeter around the facility. We must hold it." Slavik ordered.

"Your orders are to destroy the facility. Not capture it." CABAL stated, annoyed.

"I have changed my orders." Slavik challenged.

"Kane will not be pleased."

"I was tasked to lead Kane's armies and unite the Brotherhood while we waited for his return. And at last, when he did, he sends me to fetch things for him? When I should be leading our forces to victory against GDI? Tell me machine, why I am here, and not tearing down the Pentagon? Or storming the Directorate buildings in Reykjavik?"

"You play at things you do not understand. We raised you to be a tool, nothing more. And you shall do as the Prophet commands."

"I will not be talked down by the likes of-"

"Commander! Enemy dropships are approaching!" Oxana shouted, drawing Slavik's attention back to the screen.

Just as Oxana had warned, four massive dropships, as well as several smaller Orca transports, flew over the crumbling GDI base, dropping dozens of GDI paratroopers over the Nod forces. As the enemy parachuted down to his men, Hammerheads swooped in and racked death and destruction across the Nod troops. GDI Jump troopers leapt from the Hammerheads, and hovered above, slaughtering the infantry where they stood.

Slavik stared in mute horror as more dropships arrived, landing and unloading Wolverines and Aegis tanks, while more Hammerheads and Orcas swooped in. Slavik cursed himself for allowing his ambitions to blind him. He had grown too arrogant, too eager to try and gain an advantage within the Brotherhood that he failed to notice the enemy literally dropping on top his head.

"CABAL, who are we dealing with here?"

"Enemy insignias match that of the GDI 22nd Airborne. Led by Commander Michael McNeil. The very same GDI commander who has been giving General Vega so much trouble."

"Then we are presented with a unique opportunity. We shall destroy the facility as Kane demands, and remove a thorn from our side. Lieutenant Kristos! Order our forces to withdraw to the bunkers and make a defensive hold out there. Mobilize all of our anti-air to deal with those transports and gunships, and use whatever Harpies we have remaining. I want our Tick tanks set up in turret formations now. And inform Staff Sergeant Joyce to belay orders to capture the facility. Objective is instead to destroy it."

"Yes, sir!"

"The enemy has yet to deploy their entire force. If we can eliminate these troops before the main body arrives, then we may be able to achieve victory. CABAL, call for any friendly forces nearby. We-"

The Montauk was abruptly plunged into darkness. Screens and monitors went black, and the faint whirring of the massive vehicle's engines died, causing an eerie silence to fill the bridge.

"What the hell just happened? CABAL? CABAL, answer me damn it!"

"Montauk hit by EMP. Initiating emergency purge to prevent capture by enemy. System shutdown initiated. Best of luck, Slavik."

"CABAL! Damn that cowardly machine!"

"Sir! Outside!"

Slavik stepped over to the window where Oxana stood. Outside, the massive bulk of a GDI OCV was landing just beside the Montauk. Within moments of touching down, ramps lowered to allow GDI soldiers to rush towards the disabled Nod command vehicle. The token force Slavik had left to defend the Montauk was quickly being slaughtered, and it was only a matter of time before the enemy breached the vehicle itself.

"Do we have any comms?" Slavik asked, calm as a stone.

"Only local radio, sir." Oxana replied, only a slight shake to her voice.

"Inform everyone that we fight to the death. No surrender; we take as many infidels as we can with us to hell."

Oxana nodded as she pulled out her radio. Meanwhile, Slaviks bodyguards came up to him with an armoured vest and a rifle. He quickly donned the vest and took the rifle, determined to die fighting.

"Live to fight another day, kid."

Slavik turned to find Higgs standing behind him. Smoke from his cigar wafting into his eyeless sockets.

"You want me to surrender? It would be a disgrace; it would be even heretical to do so." Slavik replied, earning an odd look from Oxana. But before she could comment, Higgs continued.

"Do you really want to die here? I wasted too much time and effort for you to die here. Live, survive, fight."

"Does it matter? You trained me to take Kane's place, to rule the Brotherhood of Nod. And yet, I failed."

"You're smart: adapt. Do you really want to let that machine win?"

Slavik wanted to reply, but Higgs disappeared and was instead replaced by a very concerned and confused looking Oxana. Slavik ignored her for a moment as he looked at each member on the bridge. Bodyguards and officers looked ready to lay down their lives, to die for the cause. But the ghost was right: they should survive to fight again. The war had only just begun, and Slavik was not ready to die yet.

"Lay down your weapons, we are going to surrender."

"But Commander -!"

"We live today, and slaughter these fascists tomorrow. Relay my orders to rest of the Montauk."

"As you command."

Oxana reluctantly relayed the orders, just as Slavik's bodyguards and the officers laid down their weapons.

Several minutes later, GDI soldiers arrived just outside the bridge. They could hear muffled voices from outside, no doubt one of the soldiers would be planting a breaching charge. Slavik gave a curt nod, and one of the officers opened the door, causing the GDI soldier with the charge to stumble backwards onto his ass. The other soldiers snapped up their rifles, but upon seeing no resistance, slowly and cautiously made their way into the bridge.

Slavik kept his head held high, even as a sergeant handcuffed him and roughly led him away. Oxana was also dragged along as the other officers were being detained. Slavik offered no resistance, but kept a viscous smile on his face as he was led through the Montauk, passing Nod soldiers being corralled outside.

Eventually, Slavik and Oxana were brought to the ramp that led into the Orca Command Vehicle, where a man in a brown leather coat was waiting, a cocky grin etched on his face. An Indian man with lieutenant's bars stood beside him, along with the mutant Umagon, and an entire platoon of GDI paratroopers.

"Commander Anton Slavik. Nice of you to surrender; saves me some paperwork." The GDI Commander gloated.

Slavik ignored the man and turned to Umagon, a look of self satisfaction on her face.

"I should have known it was a trap." Slavik seethed.

"I would have." The Commander quipped.

"We knew you would try to use me to find Tratos or the Tacitus. And we knew you couldn't resist, so it was pretty simple." Umagon stated.

"I'm surprised you trust these fascists so much, even after your people were gunned down by them." Oxana mocked.

Umagon turned to her with great hatred in her eyes, her fists trembling.

"That wouldn't have happened if you hadn't tried to slaughter my people!"

Before Umagon or Oxana could continue, the GDI commander stepped in.

"Tell me Slavik. Did your all mighty God say that you would die today?"

"I live for Kane, and I die for Kane. The difference is trivial."

The Commander motioned for several soldiers to push Slavik and Oxana onto a nearby Orca Transport, and Slavik kept his defiant smile as he was led along.

"The name's McNeil! When they ask you who kicked your ass!" McNeil called after him.

Slavik just scoffed at the man's arrogance as he was led up the ramp into the ship.

_McNeil, I'll remember that name, for when I flay you alive. _

… … …

Tabok was out of breath, his chest hurt, and he was fairly certain he had taken a glancing shot to his shoulder. But he didn't have time to check - he barely had time to breath as he and his squad ran to the relative safety of the GDI radar building.

It had happened all so quickly, that Tabok still was trying to process it. One minute, they were storming the facility, blasting away GDI soldiers. The next, they were running for their lives as paratroopers glided down on top of them. In a split second, their victory had turned to bitter defeat, as the Nod division was suddenly thrown into chaos. And to make matters worse, all communications with command were abruptly cut off.

It was Joyce who gave the order to run to the radar building, to attempt to establish a rally point to hold out and regroup. Local radios still worked, so as they ran, Joyce was constantly shouting into her radio.

"All units, this Valkyrie 1-1! Regroup at enemy radar building. Say again, regroup at radar building."

There was no response, but Tabok could see vehicles and squads of friendly troops running towards the same building, all the while the GDI soldiers dogged their heels.

By the time Tabok and the others reached the radar building, haggard and out of breath, stealth suits ripped and torn, several Ticks had deployed into turret formation and infantry quickly set about defending the position. Tabok, Phong, and Damien slumped down to catch their breath, but Joyce marched over to a major, her voice hoarse but still strong.

"Major, we need to retreat." Joyce stated plainly.

"Retreat? Are you mad!? We must stand and fight!" The Major bellowed.

"Damn it man, listen to me! We are outnumbered, outgunned, and have no contact with Commander Slavik. We need to retreat, regroup, and form a plan."

Tabok listened to the conversation, and had to agree with Joyce. They had no hope of pushing back the enemy, especially not without organization from command.

"Listen very well, _Staff Sergeant_. We will hold or we will die gloriously for Kane!"

"If we retreat, then we may exact terrible vengeance upon our enemy. And there would be no greater honour, then to bring the wrath of Kane upon the infidels."

The Major was silent as he contemplated Joyce's words. Meanwhile more Nod forces arrived around the radar building, as GDI forces enclosed around them. Finally the Major nodded and raised his voice over the roar of battle.

"All forces, retreat! Fall back and regroup! We shall live so that we may bring holy retribution upon these heathens!"

Joyce motioned for everyone to resume running. Tabok took a deep breath and pushed his burning legs to keep going. Vehicles raced past, a few slowly enough to allow soldiers to jump onboard. Tabok and the others kept running, with the GDI troops pursuing them.

The battle was lost, but Nod would not forget this insult. They would reclaim their honour, the only way they could.

With blood and fire.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

_"I hate war as only a soldier who has lived it can, only as one who has seen its brutality, its futility, its stupidity."  
\- Dwight D. Eisenhower_

**Honduras, Central America**

**October 3****rd****, 2030**

**1600**

The Second Tiberium War had been going on for a month now. The 22nd Airborne, amongst countless other divisions and units within the GDI Army, had fought in some of the most brutal warfare in human history, and in only a few short weeks. It was exhausting both in mind and in body, but still the brave men and women continued fighting.

Such exhaustion was felt most strongly amongst John Lancaster and his haggard squad, as they sat huddled together by an impromptu table. They were attempting to play a game of poker, even as several Juggernauts continued their relentless barrage behind them.

The GDI forces were camped just outside of General Vega's base, located on a small island accessible only by a single bridge. The bridge was fortified with laser turrets and Obelisks of Light, and countless men had died trying to cross. Finally Commander McNeil had relented, and for the past few hours, the GDI forces waited as the Juggernauts bombarded Nod defences.

The tired and beaten soldiers were told to wait at the ready, so they could deploy at a moment's notice. But as the bombardment dragged into its second hour, many began to grow lax, unable to keep themselves at full alert status for so long.

"Do you have any fours?" Prevost asked.

"What?" West looked up, confused, the stub of a cigar hanging from his mouth.

"Do. You. Have. Any. Fours?" Prevost repeated slowly.

"This is poker you fucking idiot." West growled.

John tried to contain his laughter as Prevost gave him a subtle wink. Xhaferi just smiled as he shook his head, then placed his cards down.

"I fold."

"Yeah, me too." John added.

"Okay, Private Prevost, just you and-"

A sudden and violent explosion cut through the constant roaring of the artillery guns. The concussive force hit John and the others, causing them to bolt up as their table and subsequent poker game were blown away. John looked for the source, and found one of the Juggernauts stumbling backwards before finally collapsing, as flames engulfed the entire walker. The artillery barrage immediately stopped, and soldiers and technicians ran over to the walker.

AA guns swiveled sporadically, searching the skies for unseen enemies, while Wolverines and infantry units rushed to the front defences. John and the others followed behind Xhaferi, as he ran towards Captain Mitch, who was already at the downed Juggernaut.

"Captain! What the hell happened!? Are we under attack!?" Xhaferi asked frantically.

"No! The fucking shell got stuck and exploded! The barrel got warped from overheating and the auto loader didn't detect it!" Captain Mitch cursed as the fires raged across the walker.

Men desperately tried to put it out as platoon leaders tried to calm down the nervous soldiers. John looked around and grimaced at the level of panic: these men were drawn so tight that were all ready to snap.

John turned back to the Captain as the man began yelling angrily into his tacpad.

"No sir, it was an accident! Yes, a malfunction! Yes I'm having all the other guns looked at...! Well do you want them checked or back to firing? Make up your fucking mind! Yes…yes…understood sir."

The Captain ended the call with a string of curses that could make a marine blush. Finally, things seemed to settle slightly as the blazing fires started to die down, and the other Juggernauts powered down for inspection. No doubt Nod would notice the lapse of artillery fire and try to make a move, so with a terse command from Captain Mitch, Xhaferi led the squad away from the chaos.

They piled into a small foxhole built around an AA gun, and waited, watching the base struggle to bring the chaos under control and prepare for a possible attack. John had barely sat down before West was pacing back and forth.

"I can't take much more of this! We need to be relieved; we've been on the front for a month, straight! Where the hell is the 19th? Or what about the 7th? Hell, even the goddamned 43rd could handle this." West protested.

"They are all engaged in other theatres. And they all have been fighting for as long as we have." Xhaferi replied calmly.

"Well, what about a unit that hasn't been fighting all day every day? What about those green-horns in the 3rd Armoured?"

"Tom, quit your bitching would you? We are here, and there's no changing it." Xhaferi stated more sternly.

"I'm just saying Val, its bullshit. We've been fighting since Phoenix Base. Going from place to place and back again. We should have earned some rest after we captured that Slavik fucker. But no! Right back to the front for us. All so McNeil can get his glory."

"I gotta agree with West on this one, Sarge. McNeil is pushing us real hard, and for what? So General Solomon can slap another medal on him?" Prevost spoke up from his seat in the corner.

"Not even Lanny's old man drove his boys this hard." West added, pointing a finger at John's direction.

"Well, what do you want me to do? March up to the Kodiak and ask McNeil for some vacation time? If you wanted it easy, you should have joined the Space Force."

"Hey! I have cousins in the Space Force!" West shouted.

John could see the tension was at the breaking point. And they all knew West was right: they needed rest, and they needed replacements for their losses.

"What do you think John?" Xhaferi asked.

John looked up as all three men were staring at him. John just sighed as he noticed the tired look in his sergeant's eyes.

"We need a break, Sarge. But there's no real point in bitching about it. We're here, and we have a job to do."

"Trust Lancaster to be a kiss ass." West jabbed.

Before the conversation could continue, the Juggernauts resumed their barrage, and the roaring guns cut off any hope of conversation. The others just took up positions around the firing slits, while John just sighed, feeling the exhaustion creep on even more. Maybe after this, they could finally get some R&R. All they had to do was storm a heavily defended stronghold and capture one of the Brotherhood's top generals.

Easy…

John checked his watch and frowned. A detachment of GDI SAS troopers had been deployed to destroy a nearby hydroelectric dam that was supplying power to the base. They were supposed to have finished at the same time the main attack began, but when no word ever came of the dam's destruction, McNeil ordered his forces to attack anyways.

It had been a bloodbath, and ended up in the current stalemate. John could only guess as to what happened to the SAS team, but he hoped they were still alive and would pull through soon.

"Too bad McNeil didn't bring his Shiner girlfriend with him. Could have used those mutant freaks as cannon fodder." West remarked as he lit a cigarette.

"Not this shit again. Corporal, stop bitching like a whore before I order you to." Xhaferi said while pinching the bridge of his nose.

"We spent half of our time saving those inbred fucks. Least they could do is die for GDI."

"I don't think the Commander wants to risk losing out on that Shiner's hole. Wonder if mutant pussy is different? Like, maybe she's got an extra hole or something." Prevost ventured.

That earned a bark of laughter from West, but an angry snarl from Xhaferi. John shook his head and slumped his head, hoping to maybe catch a few moments of sleep. But he stopped when he noticed someone walk into the foxhole out of the corner of his eye. He instantly shot to his feet and loudly cleared his throat so the others would turn around. Lieutenant Chandra, McNeil's aide-de-camp, smiled as he waved his hands, indicating John to relax.

"Sergeant Xhaferi, I need your men for a mission. Interested?"

"Of course Lieutenant. My men and I are ready."

"yeah, right" West muttered to himself.

"Good. Come with me."

John and the others followed Lieutenant Chandra out of the foxhole and back into the base. The men exchanged nervous glances with each other, but if Chandra had heard their conversation, he gave no sign.

Lieutenant Chandra led them past the Juggernauts, and the burnt husk of the one that had malfunctioned as engineers swarmed over the carcass. John felt a pain in his heart as he noticed several body bags arrayed nearby, indicating the Juggernaut crew had not survived.

As they continued forward, John could see a war factory up ahead, along with six AAPCs waiting there. Several other squads were already waiting by the transports, including an engineer squad. Xhaferi and Chandra walked over to the lead AAPC, where the other squad leaders were waiting. Meanwhile, West made his way towards the engineers, and John and Prevost decided to follow behind.

"Hey you limp dick fuck! Where's my twenty credits!" West directed his remark to a corporal who was carefully looking over a pack full of explosives.

The man looked up and a smile instantly grew on his face.

"Fuck you, man! You cheated, so you don't get shit."

The two men laughed, leaving everyone else scratching their heads at the exchange.

"Lanny, Prevost, this is Corporal Vingh Nguyen. And he is a lying sonuva bitch!"

"Nice to meet you guys. And you must know by now that Tom here is a god damned cheat!"

John couldn't help but smile along as the two friends laughed with each other. The other engineers introduced themselves, and they all shared a common sense of weariness and eagerness to get some time in the rear for a change. As the two squads conversed, Xhaferi finally returned, along with the engineer sergeant.

"Mount up ladies! We are rolling out." Xhaferi boomed.

"We're launching another attack?" Prevost asked.

"Not quite. We are going to make an amphibious landing onto the southern tip of the island and set up a beachhead. Naval Intelligence has confirmed the area is lightly guarded. Seems Nod is relying on their fleet to hold the waters, but we have a clean shot at it."

"How come we have to do it? Why not send in the Navy boys?" West complained.

"Because the Navy is busy splashing around in the water - the real men have a job to do!" Xhaferi cheered.

"Hooah!" Everyone shouted back in unison.

With that, the gathered soldiers piled into the transports. John was directed by Xhaferi to take the gun, so he climbed up and quickly prepared the .50 calibre machine gun. It afforded him a clear view as the convoy quickly moved through the base in the opposite direction of the front. The six AAPCs began making their way down to the coast, where John could see the distant flashes of the naval battle taking place.

As John finished checking over the gun, the convoy was nearing the beach, and the vehicles began to pick up speed as they aimed themselves for the dark waters. While John kept his eye on the far off ship battle, the radio came to life when Prevost asked the question that was on everyone's mind.

"_So what's going on__,__ Sergeant? Did the SAS manage to take out the dam yet?" _

"_Lieutenant Chandra didn't tell me much, but according to him, Command was able to re-establish communications with the SAS unit just half an hour ago. Seems they ran into some trouble, but have since made it inside the dam. Now the plan is for us to make an amphibious landing at the same tim__e the SAS blow the dam. Our job specifically is to establish a beachhead for more troops to land, so__ we can make a two pronged assault on the base. That clear enough for you Prevost?" _

"_Crystal clear, Sergeant." _

John felt his adrenaline begin to spike. It sounded like they were ready to make the final push, which meant there would be some heavy fighting ahead. However, John didn't have much time to think before the convoy raced into the water, causing some of the ice cold water to splash up onto to him. His suit was made to handle all types of conditions, but he still felt the chill of the water through the suit.

The six AAPCs quickly made their way through the choppy waters, causing them to rock around violently. John kept a firm grip on the gun, not wanting to take the risk that they might happen upon a patrol boat. But there was no sign of any Nod forces as the convoy passed through the small channel, and up onto the island.

Water cascaded off the transports as they drove up the beach towards the Nod base. The muffled sounds of explosions grew louder, indicating the artillery barrage was still ongoing. John swiveled the gun about, growing more concerned about Nod patrols, as they traveled deeper.

Finally they left the beach and cold waters behind, and instead drove into a thick jungle of sorts. However, this was no jungle full of lush trees and exotic wild life. It was completely alien, filled with Seeder trees and weird, bulbous things that looked more like aquatic life than a plant. Tiberium crystals grew sporadically, but nothing like a full field; instead the ground was covered by a strange, toxic looking moss. The whole scene was beautiful as it was terrifying. Something once recognizable was now completely alien.

The convoy of AAPCs halted near a large withered Seeder tree, the Tiberium field it had once germinated now turned into the twisted jungle around them. The GDI soldiers quickly disembarked and set up a defensive ring around the tree. Tiberium toxicity warnings were blaring, but the level was low enough that there was no immediate threat of being killed by the stuff.

The squad leaders gathered around Lieutenant Chandra, discussing the next step of the mission, just as the transports turned back to the beach, no doubt to ferry more forces across. John, Prevost, and West all took up position by a large exposed root, watching the alien jungle for signs of Nod troops.

"This place is fucking creepy man." Prevost whispered.

"Bet those Noddies feel right at home. Watch the trees for those Tib' heads." West cautioned.

John remained silent as he scanned the jungle, watching the strange fauna for signs of Nod patrols.

"Platoon! Let's move it out!" Lieutenant Chandra ordered.

The GDI soldiers began to creep through the Tiberium jungle, stepping over vines and roots and…other things beyond description. The booming of the artillery guns could still be heard, but other sounds were now mixed in, and none of them sounded good. John took deep breaths in order to control his growing sense of unease, as they pushed forward.

The platoon had walked for well over twenty minutes, before someone finally broke the silence.

"Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore." Xhaferi quoted to no one in particular.

"Uh, Sarge, we're in Honduras, not Kansas." Prevost replied seriously.

"It's a reference, dipshit." Xhaferi laughed.

John was about to say something in Prevost's defence, when Chandra called the platoon to halt. Silence once more fell over the GDI troops, as they listened to a strange sound moving towards them. Men tensed and readied their weapons, and John remembered West's earlier warning and started scanning the trees.

Moments later, the source of the sound moved through the treeline, and John instantly shuddered. He had read about them in school: a Tiberian Floater.

The thing about Tiberian Floaters was that, unlike the other Tiberium mutations, no one knew what animal Floaters mutated from. With the Forgotten, Viceroids, and Fiends, scientists at least knew what those things had mutated from. But Floaters were a total mystery, and it seemed the only thing people were sure about was that Floaters were some of the most extreme form of Tiberium mutation.

The large, floating, jellyfish-like creature lazily moved past the platoon, long tentacles brushing against the ground, no doubt looking for prey. Discharges of ion particles could be seen underneath the body of the Floater, and John knew that one zap by a Floater would mean death for the poor bastard it was directed at.

The GDI soldiers watched the thing float by, weapons still aimed in its direction as it moved past a clump of the bulbous pods.

"I hate this place already." West breathed.

"Eyes peeled people. Let's be careful not to piss the wildlife off. Move out." Chandra commanded.

The platoon once more moved through the jungle, now cautious of any other creatures they may happen upon.

As it would turn out, the only other 'animal' life they would encounter, was a pack of Tiberian Fiends laying in a patch of Tiberium. The Fiends watched the platoon with cautious eyes, but otherwise showed no sign of aggression.

After nearly an hour of trekking through the alien undergrowth, the platoon emerged to a clearing that afforded them a clear line of sight on the base.

Chandra called for the platoon to stop as he pulled up his tacpad. Meanwhile, John got a good look at the enemy base, and felt his mouth dry up at the thought of having to fight their way into it. Tall walls and laser fences created a perimeter around the base, which itself was a small town of Hands of Nod, factories, power plants, refineries, and numerous other facilities. But the prominent feature was the Peruvian style temple in the center, vandalized with laser turrets, radar dishes and other modern extremities. John briefly wondered how his father would have tackled the base, before pushing all thoughts of his father from his mind.

"Command, come in? This is Sparrow Actual. We have established a beachhead at the end of a jungle on the island, over." Chandra said into his tacpad.

"_Copy that Sparrow Actual. More forces are en__route. Dig in for now."_

"Understood Command, Actual out. Listen up people! We need to dig in and hole up here for now. Set up some defences while we wait for our reinforcements to arrive."

The engineer squad went to work digging out foxholes, with many other soldiers joining in to help. John and his squad were spared the task as they were set to sentry duty, watching in case Nod forces or Tiberium mutants wandered too close. John couldn't shake the sensation of things crawling on his back, constantly making him want to turn and face the alien jungle. But he had to remain focused and keep his eyes on the field ahead.

However, with everyone's nerves being shot, exhaustion dulling their senses, and the rhythmic sounds of men digging, it was easy for the mind to wander. John himself had to shake his head to stay alert, but his mind always drifted back to the thought of sleep. It was because of all these factors, that no one noticed the whistling sound before it was nearly right on top of them. The only warning they received was West's drowsy question of: "What the hell is that?"

Before John could even process the question, a cluster of mutated trees behind the platoon exploded. The entire edge of the jungle where the platoon had hunkered down was suddenly set alight as mortars exploded around them. Men began screaming and running for what limited cover they could find, most hopping into the half dug foxholes.

John, West, and Prevost quickly bolted towards Xhaferi, who was frantically waving them on. The three men dove into the foxhole, which was already occupied by Corporal Nguyen and his engineers. John pressed himself as low as he could as more mortars rained down around them. Given the chaotic and random placement of the mortar strikes, it suggested the enemy didn't have a firm lock on their position. But regardless, Nod knew GDI was here.

"Command, can you hear me!? We are under attack by Nod mortars. Where are those reinforcements!?"

Lieutenant Chandra's voice managed to carry over the deafening explosions from a nearby foxhole. However, whatever reply he received, John didn't hear. Several more mortars exploded nearby, showering John and the others with dirt, while others caused more trees to fall over. Then, just as suddenly as it had started, the mortar barrage ended.

"Enemy troops inbound! Get ready! Get ready!"

John and the others, including Nguyen's engineers, all stood up, letting the dirt shower off of them. They trained their weapons on the open field, and the company sized force bearing down on them. John gulped nervously as a horde of Nod soldiers ran just behind an Attack Buggy, ready to rip the GDI forces apart.

"Enemy is not in range yet! Hold fire!" Xhaferi cautioned.

John gripped his rifle tighter, his exhaustion gone in a rush of adrenaline. He watched the Nod troops rush towards them, using the Buggy for cover as they moved in closer to the shell shocked GDI riflemen. But as they drew nearer, the Nod base behind them suddenly became awash with light. John felt his jaw hang open as he realized that dozens of Orcas were swarming over the base, and smaller explosions indicated the main attack had begun.

"Looks like those SAS boys pulled through! The main attack has started!" West pointed out.

"Too bad we'll be dead before it's over!" Prevost shouted out.

"We ain't dying here! Hold your ground and send those Noddies to hell!" Xhaferi encouraged.

"Enemy in range! Open fire! Open fire!" Lieutenant Chandra commanded.

In unison, the GDI platoon opened fire, cutting down the first wave of Nod troops that rushed forward. The other enemy soldiers scattered to find what limited cover they could find, while the Buggy rolled forward. John's eyes grew wide as saucers as the Buggy opened fire, and a foxhole with an engineer and two riflemen was obliterated by the high calibre gun, leaving only chunks of the former occupants.

John released his fear and tension through his rifle, unleashing bursts of bullets towards the enemy. Several Nod soldiers were killed behind their inadequate cover, but many more were able to fire back safely, scoring numerous kills of their own.

As John and Prevost ducked down to reload, a figure suddenly leaped into the foxhole. John had his rifle halfway up when he realized it was a fellow riflemen, armed with a disposable, one shot AT4 rocket launcher. Before the others even had time to register his arrival, the rocket trooper shouted:

"Clear the backblast! ROCKET!"

The shallow foxhole shuddered as the launcher was fired, sending a rocket streaking across the field towards the Buggy. The Attack Buggy swerved to avoid being hit, but only ended up exposing its side whereupon the rocket hit, and the Buggy was instantly destroyed.

The Nod soldiers were not deterred however, as they merely started using the burning Buggy for cover. The rocket soldier ditched the AT4 for his M8 rifle, and joined in with the others as they continued to fire on the advancing enemy.

"Val! We're going to get overrun here! We gotta pull back!" West yelled.

"I know! But LT says to hold!"

"We should at least move back to the trees! Use them for cover!" John suggested.

"Good thinking! Corporal Nguyen! Take your squad and fall back to the trees!"

"Copy that!"

Nguyen and his engineers retreated back to the jungle, as John and the others tried to cover them. The enemy noticed the sudden slack in fire from their position, and began to focus on them.

John continued to fire, just as Prevost and West bolted for the trees. The enemy soldiers were pressing harder, sensing the brief moment of weakness. John fired another burst, and soon found himself needing to reload. He cursed as he ducked down to pull out a magazine, but was stopped by Xhaferi.

"Go kid! I'll cover!"

John nodded and quickly darted out of the foxhole and towards the trees. As he ran full tilt towards West and the others, Corporal Nguyen and his men turned to fire over John's head. John dove behind the burnt stub of a Seeder tree where Prevost was already returning fire. He had barely finished reloading his weapon when Sergeant Xhaferi also slid into cover nearby.

"Enemy is getting close! Keep up the fire!" Nguyen barked.

John's and Nguyen's squads unleashed a wall of fire at the Nod forces. But the enemy had already overtaken several dugouts, and were threatening to push into the jungle –

\- until a sudden barrage caused dozens of Nod soldiers to collapse, followed by a shout: "Friendlies at your six!"

John turned around with his rifle raised, but smiled as he saw friendly soldiers rushing towards them, led by Captain Mitch.

A GDI grenadier trotted up to their position and quickly lobbed two grenades at the faltering Nod line. The grenades exploded just above the enemies' heads, igniting into a hellish blaze. John grimaced as he watched Nod soldiers dance around in agony as the white phosphorous consumed them.

With the arrival of the additional Alpha Company soldiers, the Nod attack crumbled, and less than a platoons worth of Nod troopers managed to retreat.

Before John even had time to breath, Captain Mitch had marched to the front, and was yelling at his men. "Finish digging in! More forces are on their way and we need to be ready for when they get here. Get those foxholes dug out, and move some of those trees forward! Double-time it people! The main attack has already begun!"

John grabbed a shovel from one of Nguyen's engineers and began working on the foxhole he, West, and Prevost had been in originally. Alpha Company quickly established a defensive perimeter around the corpse strewn field, all the while explosions indicated the slow progress of the main force.

_Put your back into it boy! You fight for GDI, you serve all of humanity! There is no time for rest!_

The phantom voice of John's father pushed him past his exhaustion, and he dug as fast as he could. He noticed Prevost shoot him a concerned look, but John kept his head down and kept working.

_A Lancaster isn't afraid to get his hands dirty. Something your brother needs to learn._

Shut up old man!

"Hey Lanny."

John looked up from his digging to see West handing him a cigar. John gave the man a confused look, not expecting the generous gift.

"What's this for?" John asked as he took the cigar.

"I don't know. You looked like you needed one."

"Thanks West. That was-"

… … …

John and his brother Matthew was in their father's study, their heads held low as they readied themselves for the coming verbal lashing. Mark Lancaster paced back and forth behind his desk, a noticeable limp as he walked on his old prosthetic leg, refusing to upgrade to a new one out of some misguided sense of pride.

"You are Lancaster men! That means something. We have a proud family heritage. Your grandfather, my father, Alexander Lancaster, fought in the Second World War. He served with dignity and honour. Things I carried with me when I served in the Third War. We have a legacy to uphold, and you boys were out there pissing it away!"

"But, Dad-" Matthew started.

"I'm not interested in your excuses! We live in a hard world. And a hard world needs hard men. When you get kicked down, you get back up and kick back harder! Now get. Back. Up!"

… … …

John opened his eyes, only to find his view obstructed by mounds of dirt in his face. He quickly sat up and brushed the dirt away, and felt his heart stop at what he saw. The entire field was littered with blast craters and corpses of GDI soldiers. The edge of the jungle was a jumbled mess of fallen trees, and mutated plants, and smoldering stubs. John couldn't believe his eyes, seeing such devastation, and somehow having missed the whole ordeal.

As he was looking around, asapper stumbled by him, glancing down at him briefly before glancing back behind him.

"Hey, Sergeant! I got a live one over here!"

John looked around with the sapper, and eventually spotted Sergeant Xhaferi running over to them.

"John? Jesus Christ! Thank God you're alive."

Xhaferi reached down to help John up, and at that moment, John realized he had not escaped unharmed as he collapsed into Xhaferi's arms as a wave of pain overtook him.

"Easy kid, easy. You got blown pretty far, but you're okay."

"What the hell happened?"

"Mortar strike. Right on top of our heads. Half the company got wiped out, wounded or KIA. We're still picking up the pieces."

"Sergeant!"

Both men turned to see Prevost running towards them. His face was completely covered in soot and blood, but he still managed to smile when he spotted John.

"Holy shit! You're alive! Thank every god there is."

"Yea, I'm ok Achille." John said meekly. "Hey, where's-"

"HELP!"

All three men charged over the ruined battlefield, running as fast as their battered bodies would let them. They ran past soldiers limping about, and over medics working on injured men. They kept following the cries for help, until they came upon…

"Help! I can't find it! Jesus, where is it? I need help finding it."

Corporal West was laying on the ground, tears streaming down his face as he looked around desperately, his eyes glazed over, but still searching for something. John's gaze naturally fell over the bloody stump that had once been West's right leg. The three men eased themselves down beside West, trying to comfort him as best they could.

"Hey Tom. What are you looking for?" Xhaferi asked.

"Oh, Val! I'm so sorry! So sorry." West wept.

"No, no, don't be sorry. Whatcha looking for?"

"My helmet. I… I can't find it."

John exchanged a look with Prevost and Xhaferi. West was in so much shock, he didn't seem to be aware of his missing leg; instead, he was worrying about his helmet.

"MEDIC! I NEED A FUCKING MEDIC OVER HERE!" Prevost screamed.

"Don't worry, Tom. We'll find your helmet." Xhaferi assured.

"You'll help too. Right Lanny?" West asked.

John almost began crying upon seeing the pleading look in West's eyes, so feeble, so close to death.

"Of course man. What are friends for?"

"Thanks John."

West's chest stopped moving, and his eyes finally closed. John and Xhaferi looked down at West's body, all the while Prevost kept screaming for a medic.

Corporal Tom West, of the 22nd Airborne Division of the GDI Army, was dead.

Both John and Prevost openly cried at their squadmate's death, while Xhaferi reverently retrieved West's dogtags. The three men barely noticed the arrival of Corporal Nguyen and a medic. The medic shook her head and gave a shallow apology, before rushing off again. Nguyen began cursing as he stormed off into the battlefield, kicking and screaming at the Nod corpses.

John wiped away the tears as he watched the angered Corporal, before the man stopped his rampage and bent down. He dragged a Nod soldier up by his neck: the man was covered in blood and had half of his left arm missing. John slowly stumbled towards Corporal Nguyen, wanting to stop the man from killing an injured unarmed soldier.

"You bastards! You fanatical fucks! I'll fucking strangle you! I'll-"

"Corporal-"

"PEACE THROUGH POWER!"

John was once again blasted off his feet as the Nod soldier detonated a hidden grenade. John groggily got into a sitting position, only to find Corporal Vingh Nguyen dead on the ground. A medic came running past John, only to stop at the eviscerated corpse and curse angrily.

Xhaferi walked over to John and helped him back up. Together, they stared at the absolute horror in silence, finally letting the sounds of dying men wash over them. However, John turned back to broken GDI line as he heard Chandra calling into his radio.

"Command, this is Sparrow Actual. Alpha Company has been reduced to half strength, and we've been hit by another mortar strike. Request immediate pick up and CASEVAC. We…B-but Mack! These men are in no condition to fight…I…alright, understood."

John noticed Lieutenant Chandra's dark face grow pale, and judging from Captain Mitch's angered expression, they had just gotten some bad news.

"Company, listen up! We need to keep moving! If we stay here, Nod will just hit us again! Company, move out!" Captain Mitch bellowed.

The men of Alpha Company slowly shambled their way forward, all energy seemingly have been lost. They were all reluctant to leave their dead and wounded behind, but a battle was still being fought, and they would need to join it soon.

With one final, tear filled glance back at West; John, Prevost, and Xhaferi trudged forward to join the others.

… … …

"How many, sir? How many men have to die until your quest for fame and glory is satisfied?"

Lieutenant Brink kept her face passive and her voice neutral, but the scolding anger she clearly felt could be plainly seen in her eyes. She had questioned McNeil's decisions before; sometimes he even valued her willingness to challenge him. But now, her anger bordered on insubordination.

At least she had the sense and decency to voice her objections in private.

"As many as it will take, Lieutenant." McNeil replied softly.

Brink walked away in a huff, angrily returning to her work station. McNeil remained in the corner of the bridge where they had just had their argument. The truth was: McNeil wasn't doing this for fame and glory, nor for medals and promotions. He was doing it to win, to survive.

McNeil had been raised in a Nod settlement, where most of his life had been a constant struggle for survival. In those kinds of places, where waking up the next day was a question, not a given, he had learned one important lesson: in order to survive, you had to win. If you didn't, you were dead, plain and simple.

He had carried that lesson with him for his entire life, and this battle was no different. If they lost, they died, so they had to win.

With his renewed conviction, McNeil returned to his seat to watch the Kodiak's crew manage the ongoing battle. Companies of infantry, walkers, and tanks were smashing their way through Vega's defensive army. But it was a slow and bloody crawl, one that was costing him dearly. But nothing nearly as badly as his secondary strike team, which had consisted of a single infantry company. They had nearly been wiped out, but McNeil was too close to victory to afford pulling them out.

No, those men had to keep going. Had to keep fighting.

"What's the word from Rear Admiral Do-hyeon?" McNeil asked.

"Sir, the Admiral's fleet has suffered substantial losses. He reports he has to break engagement soon." An officer reported.

McNeil gripped his seat hard enough to make his knuckles white. He needed the Navy to hold so Vega wouldn't get any help from his own ships.

Yet more men being lost to this damned drug lord.

"And what about Captain Blackwell? Where are his SAS troops?"

"The Captain and his men had just made it to the extraction point, and had been extracted by Orca Transport, according to their last communication. It will take time before they can get here, sir." Brink stated plainly.

McNeil felt like screaming! Everything that could go wrong, was going wrong.

Murphy be damned.

McNeil turned his attention to the various view screens, where he could watch the battle unfold. He clenched his teeth as he witnessed his men struggle against the enemy. Men dying screaming, crying out to gods or mothers who would never come.

Without the Navy, SAS, or even his own strike team, there was a very real chance he could lose this battle. There really was only one option left to him, a tried and true favorite tactic of GDI. How did the old expression go? "If all you have is a hammer, then suddenly every problem looks like a nail."

McNeil smiled to himself; he felt that was an adequate motto for GDI. And that was exactly what he was going to do: bring down the hammer.

He glanced at all the tactical data he had. The enemy base had a second ring of defences, more laser turrets and AT bunkers, not to mention the division sized force still within the base. He ordered the Titans to focus down on the defences, utilizing their greater range to their advantage. His Aegis tanks would engage enemy armour, while the infantry would attempt to force their way into the base itself.

From McNeil's vantage point onboard the Kodiak, everything seemed to move in slow motion. Commanding his troops into battle, directing one unit or another to a different task, it almost made him feel disconnected. But he knew that down there, in the midst of the fighting, it would be utter hell. The roar of the cannon fire would be deafening, as walkers and tanks blasted each other apart. All the while, foot soldiers would be caught in the storm of bullets, shells, and lasers.

"Sir, Bravo Company reports they have made a breach on the south side of the wall. They are moving towards a…oh, oh my God."

McNeil looked over at Brink and found she had gone ghostly white. He then turned to the screen showing Bravo Company's CO's helmet cam, and he felt the blood drain from his own face.

The men of Bravo were approaching a Hand of Nod, ready to create a foothold within the enemy base, when a Nod Flame Tank emerged from underground. The aftermath was horrible: men burnt to ashes, others incinerated alive as they tried to flee. Nod soldiers soon swarmed around them, shooting at the men of Bravo as they attempted to retreat.

McNeil's armoured units weren't fairing much better. Nod Tick tanks outnumbered GDI's own MBTs, while smaller Attack Bikes raced out to attack his Titans, swarming around the slow moving walkers and sending them crashing to the ground.

The attack was going to fail unless he could think of some way to turn the battle to his favour. McNeil sighed as he reluctantly ordered his forces to keep up the attack. McNeil had no other choice: he needed Alpha Company to disable the base's internal power plants.

"Lieutenant Brink. Order Zulu Company to reinforce Alpha. We have to push those men some more."

"Understood, sir." Brink replied tersely.

McNeil knew casualties were going to be high. But he couldn't afford to pull them back, to let Vega regroup. The men would hate him, but that wouldn't matter.

McNeil only cared for victory.

… … …

Alpha Company, or what was left of it, had made their way across the barren field towards the Nod base. The jungle and the bloody field where most of their friends had died, was now almost out of sight. The men struggled to keep going; they were beaten, bloody, and tired, but they pushed on regardless.

John had kept his gaze firmly locked forward and his rifle held tightly. He refused to look at Prevost or Xhaferi, afraid that it might make him think about West, or about how he cried looking for his lost helmet.

So many men and women had died already in this damned war, and what if it went on for as long as the First War? Three years of this? Or what if it went even longer?

No, John couldn't give in to that kind of thinking, he just had to keep his mind on the mission. If they could destroy the power plants, then the final line of defences would fall, and the base would be theirs.

But, from what he had heard from Lieutenant Chandra and Captain Mitch, the main push was already failing. Even if they could pull this off and capture General Vega, there might not be much left of the 22nd when it was all over.

The Company abruptly stopped their march as the ground began to shake. John knew by now what that meant, just as several men began to shout out:

"Subterranean attack!"

"Fall back! Find cover!"

The men scrambled out of the way, taking cover where they could find it. Mere moments later, two Subterranean APCs erupted from the ground. The transports had barely settled before their ramps lowered and Cartel soldiers began rushing out. Nod Cartel soldiers were far different than their regular Army counterparts. For starters they were more akin to the conscripted militias of the First War. They weren't nearly as well trained, but they were hyped up on combat stimulants and Tiberium infused concoctions to make them fight like crazed beasts.

The enemy rushed towards the GDI troops, screaming war cries and promises of violent murder. The GDI forces opened fire on the crazed soldiers, gunning them down without issue. However, the enemy kept coming, and they began to return fire with surprising accuracy. Soon, more APCs began to emerge, and disgorged more Cartel troops.

John fired a burst into three men running towards his position. Two went down in a spray of blood, but the third ducked into cover behind a small incline in the terrain. The Cartel trooper shot up from his cover and sprayed John's position with bullets, forcing him to duck into his own cover. Before John could get up to return fire, another Cartel soldier came running up from the opposite direction.

A shotgun blast sent a nearby GDI soldier crumbling to the dirt, and the Cartel trooper turned his gaze towards John. Without thinking, John held down on the trigger, blasting apart the shotgun wielding Cartel soldier. Fortunately he was able to stop himself from wasting the entire magazine, as he barely had enough time to react to the initial soldier jumping over his head. The man whipped his rifle around, but John was faster as he unloaded the last of his magazine point blank.

John quickly reloaded and got up to find another target, only to see the enemy was swarming over the GDI positions. An odd mix of dread and serenity fell over John. He didn't want to die, but as a soldier, he knew his time would come.

He was ready to accept his fate, when the cluster of APCs exploded in a flash of light. John barely had time to process their destruction before four Hammerheads swooped in from overhead.

The gunships easily tore into the Cartel soldiers, offering the beleaguered men of Alpha the desperate respite they needed. John continued to watch the Hammerheads eliminate the Nod assault, just as their side bay doors opened to allow squads of Jump troopers to leap out. Within moments, the Jump troopers were able to wipe out the Cartel forces, gliding over the battlefield or otherwise landing to relieve Alpha Company positions.

John watched the angels of death with awe. He spotted a squad of the Jump troopers land nearby, and moved towards them the same time Captain Mitch and Lieutenant Chandra did. Just as he came within earshot, the Hammerheads flew away, signaling an end to the battle. The other Jump troops secured the area while the regular paratroopers took a moment to rest and collect themselves. John gave a weak smile as Prevost and Xhaferi fell in beside him, just as a Jump trooper began to speak.

"Captain Mitch, I'm Sergeant Major King, with Zulu Company."

"Thanks for saving us, Sergeant Major. What's the situation out there?" Captain Mitch asked.

"Not too good. The main unit is suffering heavy losses, and are unable to make significant progress into the base. Most defences were disabled when the dam went down, but quite a few still remain active. It is imperative we destroy the enemy power plants." King answered solemnly.

"Well, with your support, we might just be able to pull it off now." Chandra added.

Both Captain Mitch and Sergeant Major King barked out the order to move, and in unison, the men of Alpha and Zulu advanced. However, the men of Alpha now moved with a renewed vigour, no doubt thanks to the presence of the Jump troopers.

The soldiers of Zulu stayed on the ground, rifles at the ready and jump packs still strapped to their backs. Every paratrooper within the 22nd had been trained how to use them, so John knew how cumbersome the things were. He had the upmost respect for Jump troopers: it was one thing to jump out of a perfectly good aircraft, but it was a whole other thing to jump out with a Tiberium fueled jet pack strapped to your back.

John and his squad kept pace with Sergeant Major King and his command squad, marching ahead of the companies as they neared the base. No further Nod attacks tried to halt their advance, so they made good time.

John tried to look to see if he could catch a glimpse of the battle still ongoing, but he was too far away. The only thing he could see were pillars of smoke rising into the air to blot out the waning sun.

"Shit, look! An Obelisk!" Prevost shouted, bring John's focus back to in front of him.

John gulped nervously as he saw the imposing form of the Obelisk of Light. The towering laser weapon was Nod's most powerful defensive weapon, easily capable of destroying anything GDI could throw at it. However, John noticed the glass tip of the weapon was dark, indicating it had lost power. He also spotted a full platoon of regular Nod soldiers guarding the base of the Obelisk, while teams of technicians tried to connect large, thick cables together that snaked back into the base itself.

"That Obelisk blocks our only way in. All units, engage!" Captain Mitch barked.

The two GDI companies rushed forward into cover, opening fire on the Nod forces. The enemy was prepared for them, as they quickly dove behind thick metal barricades. Machine guns roared to life and began to chew apart the ground GDI soldiers used for cover. Zulu Company Jump troopers launched themselves into the air, flying over the enemy cover and firing on the exposed enemy below.

John saw a few Jump troopers plummet to the ground as they were shot out of the sky. But their attack proved devastating as the Nod defenders fell one by one. Xhaferi directed John and Prevost to focus on the enemy technicians, not wanting them to restore power to the Obelisk. John fired two bursts that killed three technicians, causing the others to scatter and run.

"Keep pushing! Inside the base, let's go!"

The Jump troopers once more landed and charged into the Nod base alongside the men of Alpha. John and his squad ran past the miles of cables and stormed into the base, only to come face to face with a company of Nod troops and three Attack Buggies. Directly behind the enemy were the power plants, three in total, and with their destruction, GDI could finally take the base and end the battle.

GDI soldiers took cover where they could, but countless were shot dead before they could reach it. The Buggies heavy guns pelted the ground, creating a sense of heavy rain drops falling to the earth. John and his squad, along with Nguyen's engineers, took cover behind a flatbed truck which had more of the large cable strapped to it. They traded fire with the enemy, before their position was targeted by one of the Buggies.

"Say again Actual?"

John turned to see Xhaferi holding his helmet, trying to listen to the radio over the roar of machine gun fire.

"Understood! Lancaster, Prevost! We got a couple grenadiers moving up: give 'em cover!"

John and Prevost peered around the truck and spotted the aforementioned grenadiers darting from cover to cover. John gulped nervously before moving further out to lay down suppressive fire, just as Prevost did the same. They shot dead a squad of Nod troops attempting to take out the grenadiers, then shifted their aim to a Nod fireteam running to take cover by a pickup truck. John fired a burst that sent one man crashing into the truck, while Prevost's shots missed, only grazing the second soldier as he took cover.

John and Prevost continued to fire on the truck while, at the same time, the grenadiers got into position and began lobbing grenades at the Buggies. The explosions were deafening, but all three vehicles were destroyed, allowing the GDI forces to push forward. John and Prevost moved towards the truck, and cautiously moved around it. The soldier had a grenade in his hands, ready to pull the pin and take both of them with him. But John and Prevost reacted faster, as they both filled him with bullets before he could react.

Just in case though, they both ran from the truck, and caught up with Xhaferi and the engineers. Both Alpha and Zulu Company quickly secured the area around the power plants, disposing of any remaining Nod troops. The engineers went to work right away, fighting their way inside the plants to disable them.

John and his squad took control over a Nod machine gun, and swiveled it to face towards the heart of the base, and waited for any Nod counterattack. The minutes ticked by as the engineers worked, but no attack ever came. John couldn't be bothered to try and talk with his team, as he was so pumped full of adrenaline. The end was finally in sight.

"_Command, this is Sparrow Actual. Charges have been set and are ready to detonate on your command!"_

Chandra's voice sounded over the radio sent another jolt through John's body. He tensed himself, ready for the explosions to go off.

"_Do it! All forces, advance!"_

The charges detonated, though not in the dramatic fashion John had envisioned. Instead, it was an anti-climactic rumble that was followed by black smoke spewing from the coolant towers. What was far more impressive however, was the sudden ferocious attack from the GDI forces, as they finally pushed into the base. Aegis tanks and AAPCs charged forward, able to easily push aside the Nod defenders now that they no longer had support from laser turrets. Titans lumbered into the base, effortlessly swatting away enemy armour.

In one decisive moment, the hammer of GDI came crashing down on the Brotherhood.

"Alpha and Zulu, listen up! We got a new objective. We are to support one of the Titans as they take out two enemy Tunguskas. Let's move people!" Captain Mitch ordered.

The men quickly jogged through the enemy base to meet up with the Titan. A few times they encountered squads of Nod or Cartel troops racing around, and each time they easily disposed of them. They eventually found the Titan, callsign _Tiny Tim, _as it stomped past a Hand of Nod.

The two companies quickly took up position around the walker, and slowly followed it as it lumbered deeper into the base. As they passed a series of enlisted dormitories, they came into view of the temple, across from a large clearing. The two Tunguskas were in the clearing, along with more Nod troops and light vehicles.

The GDI soldiers broke away from the Titan to engage with the enemy troops. John fired on a Nod soldiers armed with a Javelin, killing him before he could fire his weapon. As the deadly exchange began, the Titan fired on one of the Tunguskas, coring it in one shot and causing to explode violently. The Attack Buggies tried to bring the Titan down, but the machine gun fire did little to nothing to the walker. The Bikes on the other hand, posed a much bigger threat. John and his squad focused their fire on one of the Bikes as it moved into a firing position. Their combined fire managed to cause the Bike to swerve before falling over, and another burst put the driver down.

Several missiles were fired off before the GDI soldiers destroyed the Bikes, but they all missed the walker, a few times narrowly passing through its legs. The Titan destroyed the second Tunguska, and what few Nod soldiers were left fled. John looked up at the temple, eager to get inside and finally finish this battle. But the order that came over the radio was one that firmly shocked John.

"_All units, clear the area! The Kodiak is touching down!"_

… … …

Cesar Vega sat in his control room, which was empty save for himself. He had sent his officers to hold off the enemy, perhaps long enough that Vega could find a way to escape. He could feel the sweat pouring off his face, partly from fear of being captured, partly from nervously trying to find a way to escape this mess, but mostly from the man on the screen in front of him.

Kane looked down at Vega with utter disgust, and it made Vega angry. How dare this man look down at him! Messiah or not, no one disrespected Cesar Vega!

"Kane! You must send reinforcements! I need help!"

"_You will find there is surprisingly little I must do, General Vega."_

"Kane, I have served the Brotherhood for years! I-"

Kane cut Vega off with a dismissive wave of his hand, and turned to face someone off screen. The words that would come from Kane's mouth would send shivers of pure fear down Vega's spine.

"_Target the temple, immediate launch." _Kane turned back to Vega, his look of contempt replaced by a viscous smile. _"Perhaps when McNeil arrives, you can learn something from him. I'm sure the man will give you lessons that you will carry with you __for__ the rest of your life. Which, by the way, is about seven minutes." _

Kane's image disappeared, and was replaced with a countdown timer. Vega felt himself go numb, as he watched the seconds count down to his death. All of his hard work, all that he had built, all he had done for both the Brotherhood and his own Cartel, gone. There was only one thing left to do.

Vega rummaged through his coat pocket and pulled out a cylindrical vial. Inside was a dark liquid: Eye Candy. He placed the vial over his left eye and sprayed the liquid. A quick spray could give someone a powerful high to last for a few hours. He emptied the entire vial.

Instantly his senses dulled and his mind went blank. Everything around him dissolved into a colorful kaleidoscope of twisting shapes. At least he could die in blissful intoxication.

Vega watched the colors swirl around him, until they began to form a shape. Soon Kane's face appeared before him, smiling away. Vega wanted to scream, but no sound came out, and soon he was falling into the abysmal maw of Kane's eyes.

… … …

McNeil and Chandra barreled down the cramped hallways towards the command room. The rest of his forces were clearing out the other areas of the temple, as McNeil wanted to find Vega personally.

As the two neared a bend in the hall, two Nod soldiers rounded the opposite way. They snapped up their weapons, but McNeil was faster as he blasted the two men, sending them stumbling against the wall and collapsing to the stone floor. McNeil charged forward, with Chandra just behind.

Finally they made it to the command room, and found it deserted. McNeil marched up to the chair at the end of the room, facing a large screen with a countdown timer on it. He twirled the chair around, only to find General Vega dead, foaming at the mouth and a discarded vial of Eye Candy nearby.

"Son of a bitch!" McNeil seethed.

"Mack, we have a problem."

McNeil looked over to Chandra, who was busy staring at the screen. It took McNeil a moment to finally process the timer, and what it meant. The two men wasted no words and immediately bolted out of the command room, and back the way they had come. McNeil was running out of breath, but he still managed to yell into his tacpad.

"Brink! Get everyone out of here now! Emergency retreat, the base is going to blow!"

"_What's going on, sir?"_

"No time, damn it! Just get everyone out of here!"

"_Okay, okay. Understood!" _

As McNeil and Chandra raced back through the halls, over dead Nod soldiers, McNeil screamed and yelled for everyone to run. More and more GDI soldiers fell in behind him as they fled the temple, and back out into the base.

McNeil was relieved to see Hammerheads and Orca Transports already racing away from the base. But he didn't have time to slow down as he raced up into the Kodiak.

By the time he reached the bridge, the Kodiak was already lifting off, and racing away from the doomed Nod base.

"Brink, did everyone get onboard?" McNeil asked breathlessly.

"Hang on a minute, sir."

"Damn it, Brink. Is everyone on board!?"

"Yes! Everyone made it! Now would you just-"

The Kodiak rocked violently as if it was being tossed around by a giant. McNeil clutched onto his chair as people screamed in fear. Eventually the vessel settled, and McNeil saw what had nearly shaken his ship apart.

Behind them, a massive mushroom cloud rose into the sky. The island was completely consumed by the cloud, and the nearby GDI base had been obliterated by the shockwave. The Brotherhood had just detonated a nuke on their own base, and McNeil had just barely escaped it.

"Please tell me everyone made it." McNeil said, hardly above a whisper.

"It will take time to go through the entire roster, as we still hadn't confirmed all of our WIAs and KIAs. But as far as EVA can tell… yes, everyone made it out." Brink answered.

McNeil let out a long sigh. It was over, Vega was dead, and the base erased in a nuclear blast.

"EVA, relay orders to the entire Division: return to Fort Sheppard. It's time to go home. We've earned our rest."

"Affirmative, Commander."

McNeil tugged his leather jacket tighter as he finally let himself relax. This war was far from over, but at least GDI had won today.

At least they had survived.

… … …

The troop compartment of the Kodiak was depressingly empty. The men of Alpha, Bravo, and Charlie Companies, who typically rode in the Kodiak, now stared at the empty bunks where their friends should be sitting. John, Prevost, and Xhaferi similarly were staring at West's bunk, now devoid of its owner.

Some men, however, were busy celebrating their victory, and their narrow escape. John couldn't fault them: to survive a nuclear strike was certainly cause for celebration, but he simply couldn't bring himself to join in.

His father had once told him that in the war against Nod, no cost was too great. But John didn't believe that, for Tom West didn't deserve to die.

But he knew a lot more people would, before this war was over.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

"_Liberty is never unalienable; it must be redeemed regularly with the blood of patriots or it always vanishes. Of all the so-called natural human rights that have ever been invented, liberty is least likely to be cheap and is never free of cost."  
\- Robert A. Heinlein, Starship Troopers_

**Northwest Territories, Canada**

**GDI Maximum Security Prison**

**October 10****th****, 2030**

**0400**

The Serbian snow rose up to Slavik's ankles, covering his bare feet in a thick white blanket. He was wearing a thin bodysuit, which did little more than cover his sixteen year old body. However, he did not feel cold, nor did he feel much pain from all the bruises and cuts he had received.

Nearby, in a heated pavilion, a group of people watched him. There was the aging Grand Confessor Julius, and his young protégé, Marcion, as well as most of Slavik's tutors, and the avatar of CABAL. They all watched with differing expressions: some intrigued by the sparring match, while others seemed uninterested or bored. Out of all of them, only Julius ever showed a modicum of pity for Slavik.

Slavik's opponent, the man who had tortured him for years, who had routinely beaten and abused him, was standing a few feet away. Brother Higgs was in full armour, but he was panting hard, and had a few bruises of his own. Slavik had been getting good at finally hitting back, something that angered Higgs to no end. Slavik knew that if he lost this sparring match, then he would be subject to Higgs' wrath.

"Stop standing around. Attack me!" Higgs roared.

The old man was getting angry, sloppy, but Slavik knew that he was trying to goad him to make a mistake. Slavik would not fall for it, not today. Today he was going to end this torment, once and for all.

"Grand Confessor. I beseech you to end this duel. Brother Higgs clearly is in no condition to continue fighting!" Slavik said in a respectful tone.

Higgs' face contorted into a look of pure animalistic rage. And that was exactly what Slavik wanted.

"You dare insult me like that!? I'll teach you about humility, boy!"

"Perhaps we should end this match. The cold is not good for my old bones." Julius suggested.

Slavik just gave a sly smile at Higgs, and that was all he needed to do to set the man off. Higgs roared in utter hatred and charged at Slavik, kicking up the snow as he came like a raging bull. Slavik stood unmoving, until the last moment, when he side stepped out of the way and drove a hidden shiv into Higgs' left armpit.

The sudden jab of pain caused the man to stumble and fall into the snow. Higgs quickly rolled onto his back and pulled the shiv out, letting blood splatter across the snow. But before he could get up, Slavik leapt on top of him and began beating his face. Years of pent up anger finally came out with each punch. Slavik's knuckles began to break and bleed as he kept pummeling Higgs, feeling bones break and teeth come loose as blood began to cover the man's face.

The others watched with rapt attention, seemingly in awe of Slavik's utter savagery. They probably assumed he would stop once he beat Higgs unconscious, but they would be poorly mistaken. Slavik finally relented his attack and looked down at the aftermath: Higgs' face was a bloody mess, and the man coughed up teeth and blood as he struggled to breath.

Slavik finally released all of his anger in a violent scream, as he plunged his thumbs into Higgs' eyes. Higgs began screaming in agony, thrashing around to dislodge Slavik, but he would not move. The others watched in growing disgust, but made no move to stop him.

Despite the intense cold, Slavik felt hot and sweaty, as he now dug all of his fingers into Higgs' eye sockets. With one final, hate filled roar, Slavik pulled out the mess of gore that was Higgs' eyes and brain matter. Slavik fell backwards off of Higgs and landed in the blood soaked snow. He was panting hard, and a wave a nausea passed over him as he looked at what he had just done. He moved his hand to wipe his brow, but stopped when he noticed his gore covered hands.

"Is…is he dead?" Marcion asked from Julius' side.

"Yes. Brother Higgs is dead." CABAL answered.

"Was that supposed to happen?" One of Slavik's tutors asked.

"No. This was a…interesting development." CABAL stated, almost seeming… pleased?

Slavik stood up and stared down the men in the pavilion, waiting for them to chastise him and threaten him with severe punishment. But he no longer cared: he achieved what he had dreamt of for years. Higgs was finally dead.

"Congratulations, Anton Slavik! Truly we have trained you well! To so easily best Brother Higgs, to use such cunning and deception. And to see such ferocity! Not only shall you make for a great leader of the Black Hand, truly, you shall make a worthy regent for Kane, until the day he returns to us!" Julius said with great pride.

Slavik was taken aback by the praise; he had expected anger, punishment, perhaps even death, but not this.

The others also gave their congratulations, save for CABAL and Marcion. Slavik couldn't stop himself from smiling, for at last, he was being rewarded.

"I only hope that you continue to prove yourself, Slavik. For we expect great things from you now." CABAL warned.

"Yes, indeed. But now we must celebrate with a meal! Plus I would very much like to get out of this cold. Come, Anton Slavik, your future awaits."

Slavik followed the procession out of the training yard and into the Black Hand compound. He closed his eyes, basking in the warmth and pleasant smells. Finally after years of torment, he would get his just rewards. Slavik opened his eyes-

and found himself in a cramped prison cell. He slowly got up off his cot, and took in his surroundings. The cell was hardly above being called a closet, as it had enough room for a cot and a toilet, and nothing else. The metal door had no windows from which he could look out, just a small slit to deliver food. There were no windows in the cell walls either, just a vent to allow air into the cell, and a single light fixed into a grate high in the ceiling. He also noted the plain, orange prison uniform he wore, not too dissimilar to the clothes he had been given as a Black Hand acolyte.

Slavik sighed in annoyance as he sat back down on the cot. How could he have let this happen? How could he been captured by GDI!?

"Not the most pleasant vacation spot, but I guess it beats that shithole back in Serbia, eh?"

Slavik looked up to see Higgs' ghost standing before him, a wide smirk on his gaunt face.

"I actually had a dream about that place. On the day I killed you."

"Yeah, I know. I'm in your head remember? Thanks, by the way; you know how hard it is to pick up chicks with no eyes?"

"Why are you bothering me?"

"Just came to gloat. To see the mighty _'Serbian Wolf' _rotting in a prison cell. So tell me, how are you going to overthrow Kane and take over the world from in here?"

Slavik gritted his teeth as the ghost laughed. But he had a point: for all of Slavik's ambitions, he had still ended up falling for GDI's trap. Perhaps this was divine punishment for daring to oppose Kane.

"I have failed the Brotherhood, I have failed Kane."

"Don't sweat it, kid. I'm sure CABAL will come to your rescue. What? You think he would just throw away an investment like you? You still have a purpose, kid, whether you like it or not."

Slavik wished for nothing more than for Higgs to go away. But if he was right, and rescue was on the way, then he could be given the chance to redeem himself. If he could get out, then he would prove his loyalty to Kane, and lead Nod to victory. Once the war was over, and GDI finally crushed, then he could reconsider his plans.

"I wonder what's happening to your girlfriend. She's a pretty one you know, surprised you haven't fucked her yet. I'd kill for the chance. Bet you she's getting stuffed by those guards." Higgs began to laugh, but stopped when he noticed Slavik had laid back down on the cot.

"If you were hoping to invoke a response, I'm afraid you failed. Oxana is strong; she can handle herself."

"Oh, I'm sure. Maybe she enjoys all the attention, since you don't give her any."

"Go back to hell, before I send you there."

Higgs' ghost just laughed as he faded away, once more leaving Slavik alone in his cell. In truth, Slavik was deeply concerned for Oxana. Yes, he did have feelings for her, but he hardly had time to act on such carnal desires. No, his concern came mostly from the fact that she held knowledge, and it would be very bad if GDI could break her enough that she should reveal Nod's secrets.

That was why he had to get out, to rescue her, escape back to Nod, and redeem himself before Kane. Now, if only he could find a way out of this cell.

A knock on his cell door caused him to bolt up. He slowly made his way to the door, just as the food slit opened. A tray was dropped in, but instead of any food, a small cylinder was all that was there. While some might pass this off as coincidence, Slavik knew this was providence.

He reached down and picked up the small device, and soon a tiny avatar of CABAL's head appeared. The machine's avatar was meant to be incapable of showing emotion, yet somehow, Slavik could almost see the look of utmost superiority. Never had he wanted to punch a machine so hard before.

"Ah, Commander Slavik. So this is where you have been hiding." CABAL greeted mockingly.

"I know you did not go through the trouble of smuggling yourself in here just to mock me. What is the situation?" Slavik asked in a commanding tone.

"You are in a maximum security prison in the Northwest Territories of Canada. Most of your command staff has been imprisoned elsewhere, however, the Montauk has been brought here. There is a Spetznaz team ready to release you and retrieve the Montauk for escape. One of my commando units shall help you meet up with your forces."

"What of Oxana?"

"She is of little consequence. We can not afford to rescue her."

"She has viable intel. She must be rescued."

"It would be easier to kill her."

"We are rescuing her. Tell your commando to help me find her, and inform the Spetznaz to take and hold the Montauk until we arrive."

"As you wish."

CABAL's avatar disappeared, and Slavik dropped the device back to the floor. He then sat back down on his cot, and waited. Several minutes passed before he could hear muffled shouting from outside, followed by a much louder explosion. The stomping of heavy feet could be heard approaching his door, before stopping just outside. The door to his cell exploded in a green flash, and standing in the now smoldering portal was a massive bipedal machine.

The thing looked human solely because it had two legs and two arms, but there the similarities ended. One hand was adorned with a claw-like hand, while the other was replaced by a large Tiberium plasma weapon. The head was covered in thick armour plating, with a thin, glowing red slit as the thing's 'eye'. The Cyborg Commando was one of the Brotherhood's ultimate weapons, but they were extremely few in number, due in no small part to the highly experimental plasma weapon.

The commando continued to stand in the doorway, and Slavik finally walked past it into the hall. Numerous GDI guards lay dead, either half melted or ripped into bloody ribbons. Alarms were blaring across the facility, and doubtless more guards would be bearing down on him. Slavik quickly grabbed a GDI M16 MK II, and indicated for the commando to lead the way. It stomped back the way it had came, leading Slavik to another smoldering doorway.

More dead GDI guards littered the hallway, indicating the path the Cyborg had taken. The alarms continued their annoying wail, yet no other guards appeared. The duo quickly made their way out of the prison, passing mostly empty cells, though he did spot a few Forgotten mutants locked away.

A biting cold suddenly came down the hall, and Slavik knew they were close to the exit. Despite the severe climate changes brought on by Tiberium, the arctic regions of the world remained stubbornly cold.

As Slavik continued unmolested out of the prison, he soon found himself outside in a large open space. He realized that this was a separate detention center, located in the heart of the massive compound but separated by tall thick walls. A gate, flanked by two guard towers, were the only way in and out, and the only other structures within the enclosed facility were two barracks.

How CABAL had managed to sneak one of his commandos this deep into the facility was beyond him. He just hoped the Cyborg would be enough to escape, as two full squads of riflemen appeared from the barracks, along with a Wolverine. Slavik was caught out in the open with no cover, his grand escape ending before it could begin.

"Anton Slavik! You are to surrender now! Lay down your weapon, and order your comrade to do the same." A GDI officer ordered.

"Negative. Your request does not comply with current orders." The Cyborg Commando stated in a cold and mechanical voice.

Before anyone could react to the machine's statement, a ball of green plasma struck the Wolverine, center mass. It exploded brilliantly before collapsing backwards into the snow. Slavik dove out of the way just as fifteen rifles opened fire, all aimed for the Cyborg. Slavik was amazed that the barrage of bullets did nothing to the Cyborg, and the machine just causally shifted its aim to a cluster of soldiers. It fired another plasma burst, and immediately disintegrated several soldiers. A few managed to survive the blast, but were now horribly burned and screaming on the ground. The others continued to fire, but the Cyborg just dispatched them with ease, before firing on the guard towers. Chunks of concrete and flailing guards fell to earth.

Slavik fired a few shots, silencing the men whose skin and faces had melted from plasma burns. Suddenly, things went quiet, save for the alarms, which had now faded into a background noise.

"Impressive. Now, how do we find Oxana?"

"Lieutenant Kristos is located in another isolated detention block. It is located near the north end of the prison complex. The Montauk has been stored in a separated garrison base to the south. Advise forgoing rescue attempts to increase chances of escape."

"No. We go and save her."

The Cyborg didn't reply. Instead, it moved forward towards the gate. However, before they took more than a few steps, the gate opened to allow two Guardian APCs to enter. The six wheeled vehicles quickly screeched to a halt, and their top mounted Vulcan cannons swiveled to face the two.

"What are you waiting for? Shoot them!" Slavik commanded.

But the Cyborg did not move, and before Slavik could berate the machine further, the ramps on the APCs lowered and its occupants raced down, but instead of GDI troops, it was the imposing figures of Nod Spetznaz.

The Spetznaz soldiers quickly took up positions by the gate, keeping an eye out for the eventual enemy reinforcements. One of the soldiers, however, marched over to Slavik.

"Commander Slavik. I am Captain Fedorov: my men and I are at your disposal."

The Captain spoke with a thick accent, indicating the man may have grown up in one of the border regions inside the highly contested former country of Russia. Slavik nodded his head in thanks, but couldn't help but feel slightly insulted: there was a very heated rivalry between the Army Spetznaz and the Black Hand.

"Do you know how to reach the northern detention block? It is imperative we rescue my aide-de-camp."

"I thought our objective was to just get you out? Oh well, no issue; all we have to do is fight our way through a heavily fortified prison." Fedorov remarked sarcastically.

"She is valuable to the Brotherhood. Now let's move, we've wasted enough time already."

"Yes, sir. Load up in the Guardian, it'll be safer than walking. Roth! Take point and-"

"Wolverines! Moving up along with a platoon of riflemen!"

"Shit. They got here faster than I had hoped." Fedorov spat.

"Cyborg, deal with these pests." Slavik commanded calmly.

The Cyborg moved it's way past the Spetznaz and out through the gate. Slavik could see two Wolverines and more riflemen approaching. The Cyborg stood there like a black statue, unmoving against the encroaching enemy. The GDI soldiers wasted no time and broke formation to take cover. Many opened fire on the Spetznaz troops by the gate, while others focused on the Cyborg.

The Spetznaz returned fire, and despite Fedorov's protests, Slavik moved forward into cover to offer his support. The Cyborg fired a ball of plasma that blew through the operator compartment on the left Wolverine. Black smoke poured out of the gaping wound as the walker came to a stop and remained standing in place, lifeless. The second Wolverine spooled up its Vulcan cannons, ready to rip apart the Cyborg. But with a speed that defied its earlier lumbering, the Cyborg dodged the barrage of bullets, and fired a plasma blast that blew apart the Wolverine.

The GDI soldiers seemed taken aback by the Cyborgs destructive capabilities, but they did not falter as they continued to fight against the Spetznaz. Slavik fired off a few bursts, before turning to bark orders to the Spetznaz troopers. They worked with deadly efficiency, but they were still nothing compared to his own elite Black Hand.

The GDI soldiers suffered heavy losses, but they continued to hold their ground. The Cyborg moved into position to lob plasma at the entrenched enemy, but it staggered backwards as it took a missile directly to the chest. Slavik looked up to see three enemy Pitbulls pull up behind the GDI troops, quickly disgorging more guards. The Cyborg limped back to friendly lines, still intact but now with a sizable dent in its chest armour.

The GDI forces became emboldened by the new arrivals, and soon the Nod Spetznaz found themselves on the defensive.

"Captain Fedorov! We need to break through!" Slavik shouted.

"I know sir! Hang on, I have an idea!" Fedorov pulled up his tacpad and began shouting into it. "Staff Sergeant, we need a distraction! Start the attack!"

… … …

During the Second World War, when Stalin began his campaign of conquest, the Soviet Union relied heavily on its various Spetznaz units. These elites forces were used on multiple fronts of the war, and were only countered by the handful of special forces the Allies fielded. After the war, when the Soviet Union collapsed in the 1980s, most of the Russian government and the former Soviet military were assimilated into the UN, and at the time, the secret organization of GDI. However, many Soviets did not want to be integrated with their former enemies, and the Brotherhood of Nod was quick to recruit these men.

So numerous Spetznaz groups fought for Nod during the First Tiberium War. Following Nod's defeat and the disappearance of the Black Hand, the former Soviet Spetznaz began training the next generation, to continue fighting for Nod.

When the Black Hand remerged, an instant rivalry was formed. The Spetznaz had felt that they were the new chosen elite of Kane and his successors. But when Slavik announced himself as the true leader of the Brotherhood, and claimed the Black Hand as the real chosen, it obviously had upset the Spetznaz. All throughout the Reunification War, and even now into the Second Tiberium War, both sides tried to prove their worthiness over the other.

So, for Joyce and the Black Hand to have to rely on the Spetznaz to help them free Commander Slavik, it was the ultimate humiliation.

Tabok was not born into the warrior cult, so he did not feel the same way. In fact, most of the men he talked to seemed rather nice. But he could see how much Joyce hated this, and it pained him to see her upset.

"I count two Vulcan and two AT cannons defending the entrance. At least a full company of infantry, plus armoured support: several tanks, half a dozen walkers, maybe more. Not to mention all those engineers and their escorts inside the Montauk." One of the Spetznaz scouts reported.

"Our biggest obstacle will be those turrets. Have you found where they are being powered from?" Joyce asked.

"The power plants powering the entire complex are located inside the base, and are nearly impossible to reach."

"Damn. Okay, we'll set up our heavy weapons squads along the ridge. They can take out the turrets once we move in close. Then we storm the garrison and head straight for the Montauk."

"Understood."

The scout slinked off to relay Joyce's orders, leaving Tabok alone with her. She still seemed tense, and while he knew the moment before a battle was hardly the time for personal emotions to get in the way, Tabok just didn't know when he'd have another chance.

"Are you okay Joyce?" Tabok asked as soothingly as he could.

"Yeah Wade, I'm fine." Joyce replied coldly.

"Look, in case one of us doesn't make it, I want to say something-"

"Don't. Not now. Just…just wait till after, okay?"

"But what if there isn't an _after. _Joyce I-"

"_Staff Sergeant, we need a distraction! Start the attack!" _

Captain Fedorov's voice boomed over the radio, shouting over the staccato of gunfire in the background. Joyce and Tabok exchanged a sad look with each other, before quickly donning the masks of professional soldiers.

"Copy that! Bravo Team, attack!"

In an instant, two platoons of joint Black Hand and Spetznaz soldiers charged towards the GDI garrison, just as a hailstorm of rockets streaked above them. The defensive turrets exploded into jagged bits, just as the Nod special forces ripped into the squads of GDI riflemen. The enemy seemed surprised by the second attack, having expected the main prison break to be the only assault on the prison. As such, the first few squads of GDI troops were easily dispatched, allowing the Nod forces into the garrison.

They took cover by the front gate, ready to make the final push to the Montauk. However, the GDI guards managed to recover and form a stiff resistance. More squads of riflemen took up positions to bar their way, just as Wolverines lumbered towards them. Tabok, Phong, Damien, and Joyce all took cover by a prisoner transport bus, trading fire with the enemy infantry. Meanwhile, the Spetznaz heavy squads rejoined the main force, bringing their rocket launchers to bear.

One of the Wolverines cut loose with its cannons, eviscerating a Spetznaz squad before a trio of rockets took the walker down. Tabok kept firing at the swarms of GDI soldiers, taking careful aim to shoot down enemy grenadiers. Despite the intense fire the Nod forces were putting up, the enemy still threatened to overwhelm them. However, these weren't regular Army troops GDI was dealing with, these were the elite of Nod.

Two squads of Spetznaz broke from cover and raced up to the fallen Wolverine. They used the twisted frame as cover to allow the other Nod troops to push forward. Joyce led her men towards a service depot, where a Titan was currently under repair. Tabok took aim at a group of engineers hiding behind the Titan, and killed them in three quick bursts. Phong and Damien took up position by the legs, throwing more bullets at the enemy, while Joyce led Tabok to the other side of the service depot. They were now firmly behind the enemy, able to see the GDI soldiers slowly falling back to the Montauk while they were covered by the two remaining Wolverines.

"Sergeant Wollard, bring your squad to my position. Sergeant Damien, cover them."

"_Copy that!" _Both sergeants replied in unison.

"Now can I say what I wanted to earlier?" Tabok whispered as two waited for Wollard's squad.

"No, wait till after."

Tabok sighed, but kept his mouth shut. Maybe she was right, maybe it would be better to wait. Tabok decided to keep his eye on the enemy, as the GDI riflemen were still in a fighting retreat from the Nod forces. A burst of gunfire from nearby signalled the arrival of the heavy weapons squad's, as Sergeant Wollard and his men went to work, setting up machine guns and rocket launchers. Tabok and Joyce watched the team work, and within a few minutes, they were ready.

"Destroy those Wolverines! MGs, cut down the infidels!" Joyce barked.

Her orders were carried out in the form of the machine guns roaring to life, cutting GDI soldiers down in droves. Several rockets flew off and collided with the Wolverines, ripping through the fearsome walkers like wet paper. The other Black Hand and Spetznaz squads intensified their own attacks, and soon the GDI garrison began to crumble. Tabok turned to give Joyce a victorious grin, but stopped when he noticed her attention had shifted, and the terrified warning that came from her lips.

"TANK! GET DOWN!"

Tabok turned his head just in time to see an Aegis tank roll into view. It fired a shell that exploded close enough to send Tabok flying backwards a few feet, where he landed on his back amidst a shower of dirt and snow. His ears were filled with a loud ringing, and his vision blurry, but he was still able to see the Aegis use its turret mounted machine gun to start chewing into the Nod forces. Tabok searched around for his rifle, but couldn't seem to find it. Then he tried looking for Joyce or Damien, but couldn't find them either.

The tank rolled closer towards him, the turret gunner oblivious to the fact that Tabok was still alive. Tabok reached down to pull up his sidearm, and shakily aimed his pistol at the tank commander. He fired three shots, each one missing wildly, drawing the attention of the tanker. Tabok slowed his breathing as they both locked eyes, and Tabok fired one last shot. The tank commander's head snapped back in a spray of blood, and his body fell into the tank. Within seconds -or maybe minutes, Tabok couldn't tell as his head had started pounding- a Spetznaz soldier climbed up the tank and fired a burst through the open hatch, before tossing in a grenade and scrambling back down.

The muffled boom caused the tank to grind to a halt. War cries erupted from the Nod line as they moved towards the now unguarded Montauk, ready to reclaim what GDI had stolen. Tabok felt someone dragging him by his arms, and he managed to move his head enough to see Joyce.

"Hang on Wade, you'll be okay! I just have to get you to the Montauk."

"Joyce…I…I love you."

Joyce didn't say anything for a moment; instead she kept dragging Tabok as more Spetznaz ran past.

"I love you too Wade. Now hang on, you'll be okay."

Tabok just smiled at hearing her say those words. After that, he couldn't remember anything else as darkness overtook him.

… … …

The cramped troop compartment of the GDI Guardian was freezing, as cold air whipped in through the open ramp. The ramp was half lowered, enough to allow the Cyborg to fire balls of plasma at the pursuing Pitbulls. The Vulcan cannons were also firing a stream of lead at the enemy, drowning out all sound. Slavik sat huddled between several heavily armoured Spetznaz soldiers, as they raced through the prison complex towards Oxana.

But GDI was not going to let them go so easily. While Joyce's diversionary attack worked to draw the enemy away long enough for Slavik to escape his detention block, it wasn't long before the enemy was giving chase.

The Vulcan cannons went silent for a split second, before they once again roared to life. As they did, several GDI Hammerheads came into view through the open ramp, as the gunships tried to destroy the stolen APCs.

"Can't that damned robot shoot down those helicopters!?" Fedorov shouted.

"The enemy gunships are moving too fast for my targeting software. It is better for this vehicle's weapon systems to focus them down, while I deal with the growing pursuit." The Cyborg answered mechanically.

"Wretched scrap of metal!"

One of the Hammerheads exploded as it was raked by a burst from the Guardian, while roughly at the same time, a Pitbull was turned into molten slag from a plasma bolt. The enemy finally broke off pursuit, just as the APCs turned around a block of lowered tiered security prions.

"We're almost at the second detention block! We are going to drive right through those gates. Get ready to go and get your girlfriend!" Fedorov stated.

"Lieutenant Kristos is not my girlfriend. She is a valuable asset to the Brotherhood." Slavik retorted angrily.

"Whatever you say, sir!"

Slavik wanted to reprimand the man, but was stopped as the APCs rocked violently as they crashed through the gates. The Vulcan cannons once again began spitting out bullets as they tore apart the guard towers, and before the vehicles had stopped, the Cyborg had leaped out to spew out more plasma.

The Spetznaz squads were the next to exit, as they formed a perimeter around the Guardians. Last out was Fedorov and Slavik, as they quickly bounded for the prison itself. Slavik slid through the snow into cover behind a supply truck, followed closely by Fedorov. The man had barely reached the truck before Slavik was already peaking out to fire on the soldiers guarding the door. But his bullets would do nothing against the Wolverine blocking the door. Its guns were already spooling as it fired at one of the APCs, high calibre rounds sparking as it ate through the vehicle.

Slavik quickly ducked into cover just as Fedorov thrusted his tacpad in Slavik's face.

"Call up your damn machine to take out that walker!"

Slavik growled at the man, but did as the Captain advised.

"Cyborg, move up to my position and destroy that Wolverine!"

"_Affirmative." _

Slavik once more peeked around cover and fired on a GDI soldier armed with a DMR. The man was distractedly laying down precision fire on the Spetznaz, and thus didn't notice Slavik until he had put a burst into the soldier's chest.

Slavik grinned in victory but was forced to duck back as the Wolverine swept his position with a torrent of bullets. He turned back to see the Cyborg Commando slowly make it's way forward, and Slavik finally noticed all the damage the thing had taken.

Did cyborgs still feel pain? Undoubtedly CABAL would have removed such a human flaw, but if they did, then this one must have been in excruciating pain, as its chest armour was cracked and dented, and thin streams of liquid Tiberium poured out of the plasma cannon. Still, the Cyborg walked into the stream of lead the Wolverine was firing, taking the hits like nothing, before lobbing a ball of plasma that burned through the Wolverine.

Without wasting anymore time, Slavik charged past the molten wreck, and the scorched soldiers around it. He burst into the main hall of the detention block, with Fedorov right behind him, only they found the place empty. GDI must have deployed all of its guards to stop Slavik or the Black Hand attack. Slavik still moved cautiously, but at a faster pace, passing through cell after cell until he reached the solitary confinement section.

Like his own cell block, the prison was empty, save for a single room at the far end. Slavik stopped at the door, suddenly overcome with fear. What if Higgs was right: what if Oxana had been beaten and raped? He was terrified to find her, her clothes ripped and her skin bruised and torn. Slavik did care greatly for her and perhaps in another life, things could have been different.

Slavik took a breath and opened the door, ready to face what lay behind. However, he was firmly surprised to find Oxana sitting on her cot, humming to herself, and completely unharmed.

"At last, my knight in shining armour has arrived." Oxana said cheerfully.

Slavik suppressed a smile that threatened to stretch across his mouth. Instead he merely said,

"Now is not the time, Lieutenant. Come on."

Oxana nodded her head and quickly followed Slavik and Fedorov back outside. Between the Cyborg Commando and the Spetznaz, the GDI guards had been thoroughly dealt with. But Slavik knew more guards were on their way.

"How far is it to the Montauk?" Slavik asked.

"By transport? Five, ten minutes. But both our Guardians got fried, so we're walking. And that's going to take time."

"Then let's not waste anymore of it."

Slavik took the lead as he jogged away from the detention block. Oxana and Fedorov were right behind him, with the Spetznaz forming a protective circle around them. The Cyborg brought up the rear, as the team now made their way through the GDI prison, towards the sounds of distant gunfire.

… … …

Tabok didn't remember passing out, nor did he remember walking up. All he knew was that he was propped up against a crate at the top of one of the Montauk's ramps, where Joyce had thrusted a rifle into his hands. He didn't need any further explanation, as he fired on the GDI soldiers trying to storm the Nod command crawler. Tabok laid out his remaining magazines beside him for easy access, then he began shooting.

As he picked off the advancing GDI soldiers, more Nod forces were busy stomping up the ramp and into the belly of the Montauk. One soldier stopped beside Tabok, and crouched down to fire beside him.

"Figured I'd find you laying down on the job." Damien growled.

"Still doing better than you!" Tabok laughed back.

The two fired burst after burst at the enemy, and Tabok found himself running out of ammo. GDI gave up trying to storm the ramp, but had formed a formidable ring around the Montauk, with more forces arriving via Pitbull and by transport truck.

"How much longer till we get this thing up and running!?" Damien shouted to no one in particular.

"_CABAL is having a hard time getting past the GDI firewalls! It'll be a few minutes!" _Joyce shouted in response, Damien seemingly having left his radio on.

Tabok reached down for another magazine, only to find he had one left. He gulped nervously; he really didn't want to die here, or worse, be captured and locked up here.

"Last mag!"

"Same here." Damien replied solemnly.

Tabok was more conservative with his shots, taking care to aim for grenadiers or MG crews. It seemed like the Nod forces would drown in a wave of armoured GDI soldiers, until a series of green explosions lit up the battlefield and caused the attacking enemy to divert their attention.

"_Watch your fire! Friendlies coming up!" _Someone yelled over the radio.

Tabok peered through his rifle's scope, and could see Spetznaz soldiers fighting their way through the GDI lines. Trailing behind was a tall, bulky black figure, one of its arms glowing a sickly green. Tabok gritted his teeth at the sight of the Cyborg; the only thing worse then relying on the Army Spetznaz was having to rely on CABAL's nightmare creatures.

Despite Tabok's revulsion, the Cyborg Commando was able to cut a path for Commander Slavik and his retinue to make it to the Montauk. They barreled up the ramp, the Spetznaz escort stopping to allow the other Nod forces to retreat inside. Just as Damien was helping Tabok stand up, Tabok witnessed the Cyborg halt by the bottom of the ramp, and turn to face the oncoming enemy. He almost felt thankful for the Cyborg's sacrifice, but it was pointless to show any emotion towards a soulless machine.

"_Everyone onboard now! We are leaving!" _Commander Slavik shouted, his normally calm demeanor now drowned out in exhausted anger.

"_All systems nominal, power at 82%. Initiating boring systems - prepare__ for emergency tunneling." _CABAL announced.

Tabok braced himself against a bulkhead, with Damien standing over him. Just as the ramp closed, and the Montauk began to claw it's way into the earth, Tabok managed to catch one last glimpse of the Cyborg.

… … …

_Target locked._

_Fire._

A GDI machine gun crew was eviscerated by a ball of super heated Tiberium gas, leaving behind a burning crater. The Cyborg stood motionless in front of the gaping hole where the Montauk had once been, now long gone, its tracks covered by mounds of churned dirt.

_Target locked._

_Fire._

The Cyborg fired balls plasma, one after the other, but the enemy was persistent to kill her…

_...her? That's right, she had been a woman before…_

_Target locked._

_Fire._

_Warning! Armour at 49%!_

The enemy moved into cover, but it did them no good, as her weapons would vaporize metal and flesh without distinction. More of the enemy Pitbulls arrived; she quickly destroyed three of them, but one managed to fire its rockets. The impact caused her armour to crack further, and her weapon now suffered from hairline leaks in the plasma storage.

_She had a family too, before she was turned into…this. What was her husband's name? _

_Target locked._

_Fire._

The final Pitbull was destroyed, but in that time, more machine gun crews had deployed. Now a torrent of bullets was sparking off her armour, causing it to fail further.

_Warning! Armour at 30%! Initiating self-destruct procedure._

_Vincent, was that her husband's name? No! That was her son's name. She had a son!_

Several GDI grenadiers moved into position. She fired a plasma bolt and killed four of them and wounded three others. But one managed to fire off a cluster of grenades. The explosions ripped apart her right leg, sending her crashing to the ground. The GDI soldiers took no chances, and continued to pelt her with machine gunfire.

_Warning! Armour has failed! Self-destruct in 3…2…_

_Carlos! That was her husband's name! She smiled in her mind, glad she could remember her family before dying. Hang on Carlos, my love, Vincent, my wonderful son, Mom shall join you in Ascension very soon._

_1…_

The Cyborg Commando's Tiberium core exploded in a flash of heat and radiation. Numerous soldiers who stood nearby were killed in the blast, while the unfortunate ones would die much slower from Tiberium poisoning. The explosion left nothing of the Cyborg, save for a trail of death and ruin.

She had finished her mission, and now her soul was free.

… … …

Nothing could compare to the humiliation Slavik felt right now. Not being gloated at by McNeil, or having been outsmarted by a mutant, nor even being imprisoned inside a heathen cell. No, nothing could ever compare to the look of absolute disappointment on Kane's face.

"_I am disappointed." _Kane said, as a father would to a disobedient child.

"There is no excuse for my capture." Slavik stated with his head hung low.

"_The Brotherhood can not afford ignorant mistakes."_

"McNeil will pay." Slavik seethed.

"_No. He will not, not right now anyways. I am granting you an opportunity to redeem yourself." _Kane sighed, and his face settling to one of compassion. _"Anton, we are ready to enter the next stage of this war. Soon, we shall turn our attentions to the heavens."_

"What would you have me do?" Slavik asked, equal parts grateful and confused by Kane's cryptic words.

"_I want you to take command over General Marzaq's forces in Europe. While he tries to regain some control over the remnants of Vega's forces, I want you to lead the assault on GDI's Hammerfest Base. It is imperative to my plans that we capture that base. Do not fail me again, General Slavik."_

The video call ended before Slavik could express his gratitude to Kane. Not only was he being granted another chance, but he was at last being rewarded for his efforts. Now he held a rank truly befitting the leader of the Black Hand.

"Oxana, I need you to rally our forces to Marzaq's HQ. Tell them to await for our arrival."

"Of course, sir. If you need anything, just…let me know."

Oxana walked off the bridge, leaving Slavik alone. He expected Higgs' ghost to appear, but oddly, the ghost was no where to be seen. That was fine, Slavik wanted time to be alone. He would need to put his ambitions on hold, for now, until the day he was ready to make his move.

Perhaps when Kane was busy looking towards the sky, Slavik could slip a blade in his back.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

"_Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired, signifies in the final sense a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed."_

_\- Dwight D. Eisenhower_

**Norway, Europe**

**October 21****st****, 2030**

**0700**

During the First War, the Brotherhood had nearly been able to conquer all of Europe, resulting in victory being within their grasp. All that had stood in their way was a single GDI base in Germany. Despite all odds, that single base had been able to withstand all of the Brotherhood's attempts to conquer it, and with that failure, resulted in a series of defeats that would ultimately lead to the Brotherhood's downfall.

Today, more than thirty years later, a similar battle for another GDI base was being prepared for. And much like that day decades ago, this battle could determine the outcome of the entire war. However, this time, the Brotherhood was adamant not to repeat the mistakes of the past.

Arrayed around the Montauk was a sea of black and red: a Nod army larger than any ever assembled. Nearly five hundred Tick and brand new Scorpion MK II tanks were assembled and ready to roll out. The newer Scorpions were nothing like their predecessor; whereas the old versions had been cheap and lightly armoured, these new sleek and beetle shaped tanks were truly worthy of being called MBTs. They would be more than a match for GDI Aegis tanks and Titan walkers.

But it wasn't just the new tanks that made this army so formidable. Legions of Nod soldiers were camped in a tent city that stretched for miles, all ready to achieve victory for their Brotherhood. Countless support craft, such as Harpies and troop transports were also being fuelled up, while a near endless supply train of trucks and Reckoner APCs brought fresh supplies to the front.

It was an impressive sight, and all of it was at the disposal of Anton Slavik. The newly promoted general smiled at the army he would soon command, finally having been given a real objective to test himself. No more chasing after mutants or mystical artifacts - now he would bring the wrath of Kane down upon GDI in their own homes.

Slavik turned from the window and walked back towards the table where Oxana and General Marzaq were waiting. A heavy set man with a bald head, Marzaq had held the position of Supreme Commander of Nod's European armies and as a result, had not been pleased to have been forced to relinquish control over to Slavik for this battle.

CABAL's avatar also hung over the table, overseeing the preparations for the attack on Hammerfest. There was little else for the group to do, as they waited for Kane to contact them to give his final orders. Slavik could tell Marzaq was growing impatient, mostly to be rid of Slavik's presence. Slavik on the other hand, was more impatient to attack GDI, and finally redeem himself of his failures.

"The 1st Army is ready; they are the best of the best. I trust you will be handle leading them, _General?" _Marzaq asked, mockingly.

"I was chosen to lead the Black Hand of Kane. I will lead these men to victory, with the technology of peace." Slavik replied, hiding his own mockery in religious reverence.

Marzaq simply snorted, just as CABAL's avatar was replaced by a holographic display of Kane. Slavik, Marzaq, and Oxana all bowed respectfully, before Kane motioned for them to rise.

"_General Marzaq, your service to the Brotherhood has been instrumental to our success. However, if we are to win this war, we must ensure all of our fronts remain strong. Take your command __staff, an__d go to our base in Louisiana. I need you to salvage our operations there from Vega's ineptitude." _Kane commanded.

"As you will. Peace through power." Marzaq replied respectfully. He gave a sneer to Slavik before leaving the Montauk's bridge.

"_General Slavik. This mission is the key to our victory, and will place us on the next step towards Ascension. Hammerfest must fall before the Philadelphia passes by on its orbit. I have sent three ICBM launchers to be added to your arsenal__:__ use them to destroy the oppressor's space station." _

"The base's defences are formidable. GDI is using an experimental technology they refer to as the 'Firestorm Generator.' This device has made their base nigh invulnerable. However, the human element, as always, is flawed. The base commander, a Lieutenant-Colonel Jake McNeil, will be conducting an inspection of an outlying outpost. I believe you met his brother." CABAL reported.

"_Capture Jake McNeil and…persuade him, to help us inside the base."_

"By your will!" Slavik stated.

Kane smiled before his image faded, and was quickly replaced by CABAL's avatar. The AI began displaying images of the outpost and McNeil's suspected route. However, Slavik wasn't paying attention, as his mind was swimming with the implications of the coming battle. If they destroyed the _Philadelphia_, then GDI's entire global command would be thrown into chaos.Nod would gain the upper hand, and perhaps they could finally take vengeance for their defeat thirty years ago.

"…General Marzaq's forces have acquired several GDI APCs, as well as GDI uniforms. We shall use these to take control of the garrison before McNeil arrives." CABAL finished saying.

"Very good. I want my Black Hand to lead this operation." Slavik ordered, quickly returning to the conversation.

"I'll prepare a team right away." Oxana said as she slipped away from the bridge.

When she was gone, CABAL fixed his gaze onto Slavik. His normally smug look of superiority replaced with one of suspicion.

"Tell me Slavik, will you try to disobey Kane again?"

"No, I have learned well that to disobey Kane is to suffer dire consequences. I have been lucky that he is so forgiving."

"Do not expect that to last forever. This mission is of the upmost importance. Once the _Philadelphia _is destroyed, we can deploy the World Altering Missile."

"And are you going to tell me what that is?"

"Yes. This is the end product of the Tacitus, a missile that shall unleash a powerful Tiberium explosion, and signal the coming of the Visitors."

"'Visitors?'"

CABAL smiled, an eerie thing given his inhuman form.

"Everything is as Kane prophesied. You need not know more."

"I see… and this 'World Altering Missile' would render GDI's space supremacy moot?"

"To an extent…yes. Once the base is secured, we shall deploy the ICBMs and wait for the station to orbit around the Northern Hemisphere. Then, we shall destroy it."

"Very well. CABAL, prepare our forces to move out. We shall await for our _honoured_ guest to open the gate for us."

"As you command, _General." _

CABAL disappeared, leaving Slavik alone on the Montauk. He returned to the window to watch the 1st Army continue to gather and prepare itself for battle. But his mind turned to what CABAL had told him, of Kane's ultimate plan. A weapon powerful enough to knock the Ion Cannons and other orbital weapons out of the sky, to bring GDI down and make them vulnerable. But what was this about 'Visitors'?

A flight of Banshee bombers flew by over the Montauk, breaking Slavik from his thoughts. He smiled to himself; with the army and all the new weapons at his disposal, there was no enemy, GDI, Nod, or otherwise, that would be able to stop him.

… … …

**October 22****nd**

**1230**

Tabok hated wearing the GDI uniform; it made him feel itchy wearing something that symbolized tyranny and evil. He also hated being inside the M113 APC, as it stunk with the smell of arrogant, bloated blasphemers. He would much rather be in the paper thin stealth suits. Hell, being naked in a Tiberium field would be better than this!

He looked around the troop bay to see the others in his squad in similar garb. Joyce had a uniform with sergeant's chevrons, while Damien had comically been demoted to a private. Tabok and Phong had managed to snag uniforms belonging to corporals, so at least they kept their rank.

Phong was manning the machine gun up top, leaving Tabok and Damien amongst a bunch of freshly trained acolytes. These were nothing like the zone runners or militiamen Tabok had seen back in Libya. These acolytes were silent, proficient, killing machines. And despite having been trained from childhood, Tabok still outranked them despite being a novice himself, something he sensed made the acolytes uncomfortable.

"_Approaching the outpost. We should arrive in less than ten minutes." _The driver reported.

"Private Damien, excited to see your first firefight?" Tabok asked jokingly.

"Fuck off, Wade." Damien growled back.

"That's no way to speak to someone a full rank higher than you. I might just have to report you, _Private_."

"Wade, I will cut off your head and shit down your throat."

"I don't think the overlords will be happy to hear such insubordination. Remember, we are soldiers of GDI: we must serve as good little slaves." Tabok preached with mock seriousness.

"Corporal Tabok, don't quit your day job. Acting is not your strong suit." Joyce interjected.

The soldiers all laughed, momentarily breaking their façade of emotionless warriors. Tabok laughed along too; they may have all be part of a rigid, warlike theocracy, but they were still human at the end of the day, and they needed to laugh.

Tabok turned to watch Joyce laugh and smile, and it made his heart flutter. Their relationship had grown stronger following their escape from Canada, and the long nights spent alone in her cabin while he was recovering. It may have only been a month, but it was the best in his life.

"_Approaching the gate now. Let's hope this works." _The driver cut in.

The cabin went immediately silent, as Joyce now switched to her commanding tone. Her voice sounding beside Tabok and over the radio.

"_This operation is very sensitive. We must make sure we are inside the outpost before we engage. And we must clear it quickly, before McNeil and his retinue arrive. Wait for my signal, and move quickly." _Joyce commanded.

She was received by a chorus of affirmatives, and Tabok gave her a reassuring pat on her shoulder.

The APCs slowed to a stop**,** as they came up to gates of the outpost.Tabok could hear the muffled sounds of soldiers walking around the APCs, while the driver talked with someone outside. Tabok tensed as he expected at any moment for Phong to open fire, but he never did. After a few moments, the vehicles powered down, and the ramps lowered to let a biting winter chill into the cabin.

Tabok followed Joyce and two other sergeants outside, and found himself in front of the snow covered outpost. It was large enough to house a radar station, a single warfactory, and two barracks. A few squads of GDI riflemen patrolled along the chain link fence and around the handful of turrets that defended the outpost.

Tabok broke from his sightseeing as Joyce stood ramrod straight, and waited as a lieutenant strode towards her. She gave a sharp salute, which the dark skinned man hesitantly returned.

"Sergeant Moria Smith, 5th Platoon, Second Company, 121st Recon Battalion." Joyce snapped off, as if she had been a GDI soldier her entire life. Definitely a better actor than Tabok was.

"Nice to meet you Sergeant Smith. But, would you mind telling me what a group from the 121st is doing here?" The lieutenant asked.

"Sir, our base was destroyed by Nod forces. They attacked during an Ion storm, which knocked out our comms. We decided to fall back to the closest base to try and warn you."

"Shit, Nod? This close to Hammerfest? How far away Sergeant?"

Joyce looked behind her at the assembled group, by this time, soldiers from the outpost were rushing around to raise the alarm. Tabok gripped his rifle, and subtlety switched the safety off in anticipation of Joyce's signal.

"Last we saw them, they were marshalling their forces nearby. No doubt preparing to attack Hammerfest."

The Lieutenant immediately turned to a nearby sergeant. "Sergeant Burke, pull the perimeter guards and form a quick reaction force. We need to stomp on these roaches before they scurry away."

The Sergeant nodded and began yelling out orders, and very quickly, a large group of armed GDI soldiers began gathering near the entrance in preparation to go hunting for Nod. Tabok eyed them warily while the Lieutenant turned back to Joyce.

"Sergeant Smith, we'll need to send out a warning. Sergeant, you and your men will remain here until I can get things cleared. You-"

Joyce jammed her rifle into the Lieutenant's face and fired a single shot, splattering blood and brain matter onto the snow. The machine guns on the three M113s swiveled down and opened fire, cutting through the GDI soldiers like a scythe. Tabok and the other Black Hand soldiers charged into the outpost, firing on the disoriented GDI soldiers, quickly cutting them down. A few enemy riflemen managed to make it to cover and began shooting back.

Tabok and Damien found cover by a snow plow half buried in a snow drift. It afforded them excellent cover as they traded fire with the enemy. Tabok spotted Joyce leading a squad of acolytes into a nearby power plant, before he had to duck back as puffs of snow were kicked up from bullet impacts.

Damien stood up to return fire, hosing down a squad hidden behind a powered down Wolverine. The enemy troops were cut down and left bleeding in the cold. The battle ended soon after, with the last few stragglers rounded up and executed. The Nod forces, still in their GDI disguises, gathered around the front gate to the outpost. Joyce was barking out orders, yelling over a howling wind that had drifted in abruptly.

"We need to clean up, and fast! McNeil should be here in an hour! Sergeant Damien, take Corporal Tabok up to the roof of the warfactory: you're my overwatch."

"Understood, Staff Sergeant!" Damien shouted.

He jogged off to the warfactory, and Tabok followed closely behind. The other soldiers went to work cleaning up the dead bodies, and hiding all traces of the battle as best they could. Tabok just hoped it would be enough to fool Jake McNeil.

… … …

It was almost a full hour later when the wind finally died down, leaving a fresh layer of snow. In an act of providence, the snow had helped the Nod forces hide evidence of their battle for the outpost, now making it far easier to deceive Jake McNeil.

Tabok yawned loudly, watching his breath frost in the air. It was strange to him to see it, having gone through his entire life without ever seeing a single flake of snow. It was pretty in a way, but mostly it was depressing. And cold; snow was apparently fucking cold.

"So…you and the Staff Sergeant are getting pretty serious, huh?" Damien suddenly asked.

"I have no idea what you mean, Sergeant." Tabok replied defensively.

"Oh, please, it's obvious Wade. Everyone sees it… well mostly everyone. Just be glad the Loyalty Officers don't seem to notice."

"My relationship with Joyce is purely professional." Tabok tried to argue.

"Uh huh. Real 'professional' stuff happening in her cabin or in the tool closet?"

Damien burst out laughing as he noticed Tabok's cheeks grow red, and not from the cold.

"Its okay Wade, we don't care. In fact, I'm happy for you. You know, I was young and in love once."

"Bullshit."

"What? That I was in love?"

"No, that you were young."

"Fuck you Wade."

The two men laughed with each other until they began to run out of breath. Tabok tried to bring himself under control, but a glance at Damien brought on another fit of laughter. Tabok couldn't remember when he had laughed this hard. It was certainly long before the war started, back when Aaron and Jet were still part of the squad.

"You love her, don't you?" Damien asked once he stopped laughing.

"Yes. I do." Tabok answered simply.

"Good, stay in love, be happy. Marry her when this damn war ends. Just, you know, be careful."

"How so? Do you mean the Loyalty Officers, who would probably flog us both? Or do you mean…be careful with my, uh, _weapon?_"

"Both. Though your _weapon _is more a tiny, tiny pocket knife."

"Fuck you Damien."

Tabok grinned expectantly at Damien, ready for another laughing fit, but Damien suddenly had his eyes pressed against a pair of binoculars. Tabok took it as his cue and grabbed his rifle, and peered through the scope towards the road.

"Valkyrie 1-1, this is 2-1. I count three vehicles: an armoured car and two Pitbulls, on approach to the outpost. Over?" Damien stated over the radio.

"_Copy that 2-1. Can you confirm if that's our package?" _Joyce asked, anticipation seeping through her calm demeanor.

"Affirmative, I have a positive ID on the passenger in the back. It's our guy."

"_Copy. Stay up top, wait for my signal. Once we have the package, eliminate all hostiles."_

"2-1 copies. Out."

Tabok watched the GDI vehicles approach the outpost. He felt a growing sense of panic over being detected, and about the possibility their only way inside the GDI base would get away. He tried to suppress his growing unease, and kept his rifle trained on the tail Pitbull.

The small convoy rolled into the outpost and came to a stop. Four soldiers jumped out of each Pitbull, along with another three from the armoured car. Eleven soldiers was nothing the Nod forces couldn't handle, but they had to be careful not to alert the main base, or accidentally kill their package.

The man in question: Lieutenant Colonel Jake McNeil, walked up to Joyce, a deep frown on his face as he returned her salute. Joyce was secretly broadcasting their conversation over the radio, so her men knew when to strike.

"Sergeant, where is Lieutenant Baldwin?" McNeil asked, peering around at the outpost.

"The Lieutenant will be out in a moment, sir. He wanted me to extend his deepest apologies."

"This is highly irregular, Sergeant."

"Yes, sir. I understand."

A series of clicks sounded over the radio, informing Joyce and the entire team that the snipers had a clear shot on all the targets. Joyce clicked her own radio twice, and eleven soldiers crumbled to the ground instantly. McNeil's face contorted in shock, while at the same moment, he reached for his sidearm, but Joyce was faster and raised her arm, and fired a sedative filled dart from a hidden blower in her arm. McNeil collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

"Everyone, load back up! Mission accomplished! I need someone to secure our package and load him up. Double time people!" Joyce shouted.

The Nod forces began loading back onto the APCs, while two soldiers bound McNeil and dragged him onboard. Tabok and Damien made it back down to the ground. Tabok left Damien to speak with Joyce, who was looking over the outpost.

"Doesn't seem like your charm worked, eh?" Tabok asked with a grin.

"Must be a fag if he didn't fall for my good looks." Joyce said with theatrical flourish.

Tabok just shook his head.

"Right. Or maybe you just weren't his type, babe."

Joyce gave an indignant huff before walking back to the waiting APCs. Tabok shook his head again, but smiled as he followed her.

Phase one of the mission was a success. Hopefully phase two went just as smoothly.

… … …

**1900**

Slavik stared at the man bound to the chair. He looked a bit disheveled, and he looked around his cell in fear, but otherwise, he had been well taken care of. The Brotherhood had a reputation for mistreating prisoners, at least the ones they didn't try to forcibly convert. However, McNeil was fortunate that they needed him to be…cooperative.

The older brother looked nothing like the smug and overly confident Michael McNeil. And despite being the elder, Jake was somehow of a lower rank. Slavik had read over the man's personal file that CABAL acquired and he knew everything about the man: his relationships, and the Nod settlement he had grown up in. It was everything he would need to convert McNeil to their cause.

Oh, how Slavik wished the other McNeil brother could witness this moment.

"Are we ready?" Oxana asked.

"By all means, Lieutenant."

Oxana entered the cell, and McNeil's head instantly shot up. Fear was plain on his face, as his gaze shifted to Oxana,as he looked her up and down.

"Sorry to interrupt your patrol, soldier." Oxana stated in way of greeting.

"I'm not going to talk." McNeil replied with a growl.

"We don't need you to talk." Oxana began, she slowly moved around McNeil, rubbing her hand across his chest, before kneeling down to eye level. "We need you to listen." She finished.

"Fuck you, Nod bitch!" McNeil shouted as he strained against his restraints.

Slavik felt a surge of anger at the way McNeil spoke to Oxana, but even more so at how unfazed she seemed and the way she kept looking at him seductively. He knew it was all a play, but it still bothered him.

He suppressed his feelings, and watched her press on.

"Your brother doesn't think much of you, does he? Tell me, how is he the hotshot battle-commander, yet you have all the smarts?"

McNeil stared daggers towards Oxana, yet he could see the faintest glimmer of doubt in his eyes.

"I know you don't believe me, but the Brotherhood is only interested in peace. Kane wishes to see all of mankind united."

"Kane is a psychopath and a murderer." McNeil spat.

"Your brother is in it for the glory. A real hero, fights for peace." Oxana continued, as if McNeil hadn't spoken.

"I want peace." McNeil mumbled.

"We need you Jake. We see what GDI doesn't." Oxana pressed on with her seduction, and much to Slavik's annoyance, it seemed to be working. "We see the warrior within you, Jake. And we are willing to give you everything_, _to come fight for us. Power, respect… _everything_. You could become the new Commander-in-Chief of all of GDI. You could be the one to end the war, and finally broker in peace. How does that sound? Commander-in-Chief _Jake _McNeil, the man who won the war. Bet your brother would never have the skills to accomplish something like that."

Slavik smiled as McNeil nodded his head slowly. McNeil pretended to do so with gravitas, but Slavik could see the lust for power and pride in his eyes.

"Very tempting. But I would never betray GDI! And I would never fight for your fucking Brotherhood!"

Oxana stood up and looked hurt, even managing to form a single tear. She turned away to look at Slavik through the two way mirror. It was all part of her act, but this was going to be Slavik's favorite part. He pressed a button, and soon the door opened to allow a cyborg to enter. A cyborg would be a frightening sight just on it's own, but one carrying a tray of surgical tools was truly horrifying.

"Like I said, Jake. We can give you your heart's desire. But if you refuse…well, we have ways to make you serve. I want you to accept my offer, and for your sake, I think it's best you do."

Slavik watched McNeil struggle again, terrified of the cyborg and the threat of being turned into one. While the conversion wasn't over yet, Slavik could tell McNeil would break soon enough.

The gates to Hammerfest would be opened.

Phase two complete.

… … …

**October 23****rd**

**1000**

"We should just put bullet in his back." Phong protested, for the fifth time.

"We need him, Phong, to get past the Firestorm thing." Tabok replied with an annoyed sigh.

"What even is this Firestorm Generator? Why can't we just blow it up?"

"Why should I know?"

"Not asking you, dipshit. Asking Damien."

"According to our new…uh…_Brother._ The Firestorm Generator can create an energy barrier capable of deflecting energy and kinetic weapons, making it invulnerable. The drawback is huge power requirements, and the whole thing is controlled from a single point. Thus why we need McNeil: he goes in, and turns it off. Then we swoop in and take the base."

Tabok shivered as a cold wind blew a drifting of snow past them. He was quickly starting to hate the snow and cold, and was desperately beginning to miss the warmth of back home.

A small force of Attack Buggies and Bikes were assembled near the foothills of a small mountain range. Hammerfest base lay beyond the mountains, nestled along the coast of the Arctic Ocean. The plan called for the small team to 'chase' McNeil back to the outlying outpost that controlled the Firestorm barriers, where he would then shut them down. Then the main force would fall on the base, and sweep away the tyrants.

"I hate snow." Phong said, brushing the stuff off his armour.

"I hate it when you complain so much." Damien huffed.

"I wonder what Aaron would think of all this."

Tabok immediately regretted saying that, as he didn't want to make his friends depressed with thoughts of their fallen comrades. However, the other two seemed to be put in better spirits, rather than worse.

"Hah! I bet the kid would be busy playing around like a jackass." Damien mused.

"Jet probably like it to. She liked cold better then rest of us." Phong added.

Tabok was about to add something, when Joyce and McNeil walked towards them. The other squad leaders soon fell in around them, and Tabok knew the battle was about to start.

"Listen up, 'cause we don't have much time. Brother McNeil here will run back to the base, while one of our Buggies gives mock pursuit. Now, I already have a volunteer martyr squad willing to sacrifice themselves, and they know not to be _too _accurate." Joyce spoke firmly.

Tabok glanced at McNeil and snarled. The idea of working with a GDI fascist did not sit well with him.

"McNeil, you know your part of the plan?" Joyce asked.

"Yeah, of course. Just make it quick, okay?" McNeil said indignantly.

Tabok decided he hated the man already.

"Alright. Phase three is for us to secure this outpost, and wait for the main force to arrive. Then we move to phase four: we have to escort one of the ICBMs to a location CABAL has designated. After that, well, wait for word from Command. Any questions?"

Joyce looked over her squad leaders and McNeil, before resting her gaze on Tabok for a moment longer. When no one spoke, she nodded her head.

"McNeil. Start running."

"Oh, uh, right."

McNeil began jogging back towards the base, picking up speed when he passed the lead Buggy. Joyce barked out a command, and the Buggy began chasing after him, firing sporadic bursts just behind him. Tabok watched with amusement as the man ran desperately, bullets dogging his heels.

Joyce was watching too, binoculars pressed to her helmet.

"He just past the barrier. Any moment now it should-"

A bright wall of blue flame suddenly shot into the air. The Buggy chasing McNeil was instantly destroyed as it attempted to pass through. Tabok had no idea what technology created such a force, but he was glad that he had not been the one to try and pass through it. Tabok was sure to give a prayer for those martyrs who gave their lives to pull off this stunt.

The strike team waited for a few tense and agonizing minutes as they waited for McNeil. But after a short while, the wall of blue flame dissipated.

"_The barrier is down! Hurry!" _McNeil urged frantically.

"Attack! For the Brotherhood!" Joyce shouted.

The Buggies and Bikes surged forward, throwing the snow in the air in great puffs. They passed the now deactivated barrier, and began wreaking havoc on the outpost. GDI soldiers were blasted apart by machine gun fire or missile barrages, as they tried to fight back. The scattering of buildings were likewise torn asunder, just as the infantry stormed inside.

The battle was swift and brutal, with GDI forces being slaughtered relentlessly. A few Nod troops and vehicles were destroyed, but their casualties were nothing to the losses the enemy suffered. However, this would all pale in comparison to the battle yet to come.

Tabok and his squad followed Joyce and a few other Black Hand into the Firestorm Generator building. They needed to regroup with McNeil, and signal the main force to begin the push, as well as find out where they needed to deploy the ICBM launchers.

A few soldiers stood outside on guard, firing random and desperate shots. But upon seeing their approach, retreated back inside. Joyce and the others stacked up against the wall, while Phong tossed a grenade in after the enemy. When the grenade exploded, it sent a plume of smoke through the open door, and the Nod troops stormed inside. What was left of the guards stumbled around in the fading smoke, some coughing while others moaned in pain. The Nod soldiers passed them by, casually putting bullets through them to neutralize the enemy.

The rest of the facility was devoid of any stiff resistance. A few times they came across terrified engineers and technicians, who were taken prisoner to be converted later. After a few short minutes, the team reached the main control center. There were no guards, inside or out, just McNeil surrounded by two dead bodies.

"Well done betraying your own friends, Brother McNeil." Joyce said, her voice dripping with venom.

"Hey! I did what was asked of me. This is all in the interest of peace. Once this battle is over, we can finally end this war." McNeil stated nervously.

"Yes, of course. Now you stay here, and be a good little boy."

McNeil opened his mouth to protest, but snapped it shut when Tabok glared at him once more, and moved over to a nearby console. Joyce turned to others, and barked out more orders.

"Damien, take your men back outside, help out where needed. The rest of Strike Group Seraphim should be arriving soon."

"Copy that. Let's move it boys!"

Tabok quickly squeezed Joyce's shoulder before running back outside with Damien and Phong. True to Joyce's words, Strike Group Seraphim, one of the three forces attacking the base, swiftly moved in and secured the area.

Light vehicles served as the vanguard, while new Scorpion tanks and Reckoners comprised the main bulk of the force. They took control over the outpost and the Firestorm Generator. Tabok watched the large force roll onwards, as more infantry arrived.

At the tail of the convoy, four Tunguskas escorted the large ICBM launcher, as its massive wheels slowly brought the ballistic missile forward. Tabok stared in reverence at the thing: the weapon that would destroy GDI. He knew the enemy would do everything in their power to destroy it, and so he would be ready to lay down his life to protect it.

Strike Group Seraphim pressed onwards, rolling past the outpost towards Hammerfest proper. The attack called for all three groups to attack the base head on, while smaller elements of each group would defend the launchers.

Strike Group Seraphim would be led by Joyce and Lieutenant Kristos. Strike Group Golem was being led by CABAL, and would be responsible for the main assault. Finally, Strike Group Wolf was led by General Slavik, and would focus on a GDI Tiberium harvesting facility.

Tabok turned his attention as he heard the sound of an approaching helicopter. He spotted a Nod Hind gunship setting down next to the Firestorm Generator, where Lieutenant Kristos and several officers got out and entered the building. Soon the distant sounds of battle began drifting towards Tabok, and he knew that the real battle was about to begin.

"_Strike Group Seraphim, begin the attack! Focus down on the southern part of the base. Golem will focus on the north. Secondary teams, a marker has____been placed on your tacpads. Escort Liberator III to the target position." _Lieutenant Kristos ordered smoothly.

Damien motioned for Tabok and Phong to follow, as he led them to a waiting Buggy. They hung onto the sides of the vehicle, as it followed a force of light vehicles and Scorpions that separated from the main group. They made their way through another set of foothills, moving towards the green glow of a Tiberium field. The marker was somewhere just beyond the field.

Tabok's Buggy had just crested one of the foothills when a tank behind him exploded. Several more explosions went off, destroying vehicles or sending them swerving for cover. A moment later, a flight of Orcas flew by overhead. Missiles spent, the attack craft opened up with their autocannons. Many of the Bikes tried to fight back, but their missiles veered off course and prematurely detonated as their seekers were scrambled by the chaff deployed by the Orcas. A few of the Buggies, including the one Tabok was on, also tried to shoot the enemy flyers down. The machine gun was deafening, but it managed to clip the tail of one craft and sent it crashing to the ground. The other three promptly retreated to rearm.

The Nod force continued unabated, but they had suffered several losses. Tabok was tempted to get off and walk, no longer wanting to be exposed as he desperately clung to the side of the fast moving Buggy, but he never got the chance to ask as Hammerheads appeared next. Their Vulcan cannons chewed apart the Bikes, while Jump troopers leapt from the open bays. Once more, the Buggies' machine guns opened up, and this time Tabok and the others fired as well, aiming their rifles at the hovering infantry.

Tabok's aim was way off, though that was to be expected as he aimed with one arm, and was being jostled around by a fast moving vehicle. However, as more Hammerheads appeared, the Nod forces finally came to a stop, and Tabok and the others leapt off to find cover. Now that he was stationary, his aim greatly improved, and he was able to shoot down several Jump troopers.

The enemy continued to harass them, their gunships keeping their vehicles distracted, while the infantry engaged each other. However, when one of the four Tunguskas rolled to the front, it easily tore apart the enemy Hammerheads. Several were destroyed, sending debris ranging down, while the others broke off and fled. The GDI troopers were then easily mopped up, and the Nod force was once again on the move.

Following the ambush, the Nod forces made it to the edge of the Tiberium field. It was fairly small due to Tiberium's difficulty to grow in cold climates, and several paths had been made through the field by GDI harvesters. These paths were the only way to reach the marker, save wasting time by going around. But the infidels had to make things difficult by blocking the paths with Aegis tanks and Wolverines.

Tabok however grinned in anticipation: he would get to see these new Scorpions in action. The tri-tracked tanks moved to the front, the turret replaced with a rotating chassis. Immediately the two sides began lobbing shells at each other, Scorpion tanks punching through Aegis' or blasting apart Wolverines. The enemy likewise blew apart the beetle like tanks, creating vibrant orange flames that challenged the baleful glow of the Tiberium.

The Wolverines attempted to move forward to engage the light vehicles and infantry. But several Nod heavy weapons squads were able to create a whirlwind of missiles. Much like the aerial ambush before, things were quickly thrown into chaos. Tabok and his squad once again moved to find cover. Tabok fired several bursts at a group of GDI riflemen moving up to support the Wolverines. He and his squad managed to take out an enemy squad before the GDI soldiers scattered to find their own cover.

The tank battle was still ongoing, with some of the Nod tanks driving into the Tiberium field to gain better vantage points. Their GDI counterparts seemed more reluctant to do the same, giving Nod the edge it needed to push past the blockade. Tabok fired another stream of bullets, cutting down a soldier armed with a LMG. Just as he reloaded, and was ready to find another target, the enemy began to retreat behind the crumbling line of tanks.

Tabok was about to make a boisterous remark to Phong, when he stopped as he heard an all too familiar sound. The Scorpions out in the Tiberium field abruptly exploded as artillery shells rained down on them. Several shells exploded farther back, annihilating the light vehicles and any infantry nearby. Tabok and his squad pressed themselves against the cold ground, as more artillery shells rained down.

While Tabok was holding his head down in the snow, he swore he could hear something _below _him. The ground continued to rumble from the artillery barrage, but a new tremor also shook the earth. After a few moments, the barrage ended, while at the same time, two subterranean APCs burst forth. The GDI forces redoubled their attack, engaging the fresh wave of tanks that moved forward to supplement their fallen comrades. However, the APCs had not gone unnoticed, as enemy infantry attempted to destroy them. But they were too slow, as cyborgs emerged and immediately set to tearing apart the enemy.

"Come on! While those things have them distracted, we can swing around and take out that artillery!" Damien shouted as he got to his feet.

"How de we even know where it is!?" Tabok asked as he brushed snow and dirt off his rifle.

"CABAL pinpointed it just ahead, at the marker! Let's move!"

Damien signaled for other infantry squads nearby to follow, and soon they had a small force of a few platoons and several Attack Bikes. Meanwhile the Scorpions and cyborgs continued to try and push through the enemy defence. The enemy had given up the offensive and were now holding out around the line of Aegis tanks and hastily made dugouts.

Damien led them into the Tiberium field, a move that would be suicide if their suits didn't offer some protection, though it was still extremely risky. They ran into the field, and despite the futility of it, Tabok tried to avoid stepping directly on any Tiberium. They all ran as fast as they could - even the Bikes raced past them to get out of the deadly radiation.

Tabok took a moment to watch the tank battle continue to unfold: it was still anyone's guess as to who would win, but the cyborgs were making short work of the other defences.

Damien's team made it out of the Tiberium field, with no visible ill effects. They left the battle behind and continued towards a small ridge which had been selected to deploy the ICBM launcher on. Incidentally, GDI also had selected it to deploy three old Paladin SPGs. The old Paladins fired off a single volley, and somewhere behind Tabok, something was destroyed.

The team picked up speed again, moving towards the guns, now rejoined by the Bikes. A token force of riflemen and a single Wolverine defended the Paladins. Damien barked out a few orders, and the Bikes stopped to engage the Wolverine, while the Nod soldiers moved into cover to take out the enemy foot troops. What Tabok had originally pinned as a token force, was actually a platoon of GDI Rangers. The elite infantry units quickly cut down several squads of Nod soldiers, forcing Tabok and his friends deeper into their cover.

The small outcropping Tabok, Phong, and Damien was behind was pelted by a barrage of lead. So much so, that neither man was able to fire back. Tabok did manage to see the Wolverine had been destroyed, but Bikes were being taken out, one by one. One Bike was chewed apart by a heavy torrent of bullets, causing it to tumble and crash, before coming to a rest part way between the outcropping and the Paladins. Tabok decided it would make a good position to try and take the pressure off Damien and Phong, and perhaps allow them to push up.

Tabok reloaded and relayed his plan to Damien, who merely grunted in acknowledgment. Tabok fired a wild spray over the outcropping, then dashed for the Bike. Bullets impacted all around him, and a few rounds glanced off his armour. But he jumped behind the Bike and made it to relative safety. Tabok took a moment to catch his breath, and glanced over at the driver. Unfortunately, his body was mangled and twisted, and Tabok said a short prayer for his fallen brother.

Tabok then stood up to fire, managing to catch a Ranger off guard. Tabok's rounds punched through the woman's chest, causing her to collapse to the ground. Another Ranger attempted to pull her to safety, but Tabok just shot him in the head. With the two Rangers incapacitated, the others darted for cover, allowing Damien and several other Nod soldiers to advance. Tabok continued to fire on the Rangers' positions, and soon Damien and Phong joined him, adding their fire as well.

Seeing that their position was faltering, the Rangers began a fighting retreat towards the Paladins. By this point, the SPGs had ceased firing and were getting ready to move out. As Nod soldiers got closer, the Paladin's coaxial guns opened up. The Nod troops were once again forced into cover, allowing the Rangers time to regroup. However, a Scorpion tank rolled up onto the ridge, scarred and dented from the intense tank battle. It fired on one of the Paladins, its shell coring the SPG and setting its ammo supply ablaze.

The other two Paladins began to pull away, but the Scorpion fired again, destroying the tracks of one and immobilizing it. The third Paladin made it out of range of the Scorpion, but was soon bombarded by a series of rockets from newly arrived Stealth Tanks. With the artillery dealt with, the Rangers fled back towards the base, but they were quickly run down by Attack Buggies.

Tabok sighed in relief as he rested against the ruined Bike. More Nod forces arrived, and trailing behind was one of the ICBMs. It took up position where the Paladins had just been, and began deploying. Several squads of Black Hand and engineers began working on securing the ridge, and defending the launcher.

"_Excellent work, Brothers and Sisters," _General Slavik began. _"The first launcher __has__been deployed. The second and third are nearly in position. I want all Strike Group Seraphim forces to converge on the base. We must cleanse it of the infidels!" _

Damien began following the tanks and light vehicles, leaving Tabok and Phong to follow. As they left the ridge behind and made their way towards the base, the sounds of fighting grew in intensity.

"cảm ơn vị cứu tinh."

Tabok turned to see Phong clutching a Nod pendant in his hand, muttering under his breath.

"Whatcha saying Phong?" Tabok asked.

"Praying." Phong replied simply.

Tabok just grunted, as he returned his focus to the enemy base looming ahead, highlighted against the dark shore of the Arctic Ocean. He could see the flashes of explosions now, and tiny dots darting over the base, which he could only assume were Harpies and Orcas in the midst of a large dogfight. The forces of SG Seraphim would be joining the battle soon, and Tabok needed a way to calm his nerves as his adrenaline drained and turned into anxiety.

He turned back to Phong, who was still mumbling prayers in his native tongue.

"So, uh, Phong. Why did you join the Brotherhood?" Tabok asked somewhat awkwardly.

Phong turned to look at Tabok as they walked, and while Tabok couldn't see his face under the helmet, he could imagine the incredulous look he was giving.

"I just meant, like, how did you end up in Libya with us? How did you get there from Vietnam? I just recently found out that Damien was married, so I realized I don't know much about my own squad." Tabok hastily explained.

"It…it is long story."

"Well, we have time. Going to be awhile to march to meet up with the others."

"Okay. After the Vietnam War in 1970s, the Allies left much devastation. The Soviet government could not help, as they were collapsing. After they did, my people began to starve, however there was still much fighting between the Soviet party and revolutionaries. The Allies and the UN did nothing to help, because we were enemies. Then, the Brotherhood of Nod came. They give food, medicine, and more importantly: they give us pride and direction. That is why I serve, to pay thanks to Kane for saving my people."

"And, how did you end up in Libya with us?"

"My commander at the time pledged loyalty to Hassan, during Reunification War. As part of pledge, he send a bunch of troops, me included. The rest is…how does the expression go? The rest is history?"

"Yeah, that's it. Thanks for sharing, I never knew."

"How 'bout you? Why you fight?"

"Mine isn't as motivating as a story. Basically I grew up in a Nod controlled city. Joining the military was one of the best ways to earn a living. But it is like you said, when Tiberium started making places harder to live in, GDI just abandoned them. Nod was the only ones who cared enough to help."

"Then today, we shall fight. For Kane, for the Brotherhood."

Tabok felt more invigorated to fight. Which was fortunate, as they had reached the rear lines of the attacking Nod army. Tabok hadn't realized they had gotten so close, and now that he did, he finally took stock of the mighty fortress of Hammerfest.

Perhaps before the righteous crusaders of Nod had come, this base might have been impressive. But as it stood now, it was little more than flaming rubble. The tall walls had been breached in countless spots. Turrets, bunkers, and fortified guard towers were destroyed, with many engulfed in raging infernos. The outer structures were in ruins, with debris now clogging the streets leading deeper into the base. Many of the inner buildings weren't much better, as the ongoing air battle had taken its toll.

Hundreds of vehicles, GDI and Nod, littered the battlefield, and already the field was covered with the dead. It would seem Tabok had missed a ferocious battle, but there was still a lot of fighting left to do.

Tabok and the others made their way through the front, simultaneously receiving orders from Oxana and Joyce, while also have local company commanders barking out orders. By the time Tabok and his friends reached the front, they had been rejoined with their Black Hand platoon, and were now given a critical mission: capture or destroy the GDI OCV docked inside Hammerfest. The massive flying ship was located on the far side of the base, near the shore. And in order to get to it, they would have to fight their way through the heart of the base.

"_2__nd__ Fusiliers will follow Ezekiel 2-7. Objective is to join up with Tank Group Obsidian." _Joyce's calm voice ordered.

Tabok stocked up on extra ammunition and grenades from a supply crate, as the rest of his platoon gathered by the Scorpion MK II. He took a deep breath, then set off back into battle. The platoon followed behind the tank as it drove down the rubble strewn roads, pushing smaller debris aside with its dozer blade.

The staccato of gunfire, and the booming of tank cannons was everywhere. The base was in utter chaos, and Tabokcouldn't be sure if they were walking away, or towards the fighting. They proceeded past several buildings, mostly ruined barracks or dormitories, but a few times they cautiously moved by warfactories and service depots. Whatever vehicles had been inside, had been hastily pressed into service.

The first contact with the enemy came when they entered into a large parade ground. Several vehicles, including Harpy attack craft, were strewn around the field. A group of GDI soldiers were nervously standing guard as medics checked on the dead and wounded. The enemy first heard the Scorpion approach, and ran for cover, just as a AAPC turned its machine gun towards the Nod tank. The bullets did nothing save chip the Scorpion's paint. The tank retaliated by firing a shell that obliterated the AAPC, furthering adding to the wreckage littering the parade ground.

Tabok took cover behind a crashed Harpy, and took aim at the retreating medics. His first burst sent one medic crashing into the snow, blood quickly pooling around them. However, his other shots went wide, as he narrowly made it into cover before it was pelted by a hailstorm of bullets. A squad of GDI soldiers had set up position behind a ruined Tick tank, and one soldier was equipped with a SAW.

"Ezekiel 2-7, I need that derelict Tick tank taken out! Just north of our position." Damien shouted as he blind fired over the shattered canopy.

"_Uh, copy that Valkyrie 2-1. We can't seem to find it, where are you guys?"_

"By the crashed Harpy! Center of the field, the Tick straight ahead!"

"_Affirmative, we see it. Load HEAT round. Elevation 14° by-" _

Tabok never heard the enemy tank fire - he didn't even realize an enemy tank had arrived until the Scorpion abruptly exploded. The only evidence was a thin contrail of blue smoke that hung over the field. Tabok followed the contrail to a large tank slowly rolling into the field. It was extremely similar to a GDI Aegis, except its 120mm cannon was replaced by a large railgun. Coils connected the railgun to conductors on the rear of the chassis, allowing the tank to fire a slug at incredible speeds.

"_Command, this is Centurion 1-3. We are pinned down by a new enemy tank. We need immediate backup!" _The platoon leader shouted, frightened.

"_Understood 1-3. A unit from Strike Group Golem is on route." _CABAL answered.

Tabok could hear Damien curse under his breath, and Tabok couldn't help but agree: he hated getting help from cyborgs.

Bullets continued to ping off the Harpy, as GDI soldiers began to move forward, no longer impeded by the Scorpion.

"Enemy pushing up left side!" Phong warned.

"I got a squad moving up the right!" Tabok added.

"Fall back! Regroup with Lieutenant Casey!"

The three men began to run back towards friendly lines. Nod soldiers were still in cover behind various debris and piles of rubble. They were locked in a firefight with the advancing enemy, but their platoon leader, Lieutenant Casey, noted their approach and shifted his men to cover them.

Just as they reached cover, the Railgun tank fired again, obliterating a section of wall that a squad of Nod marksmen were hidden behind. All that was left of them was a thin red mist.

"It would be nice if those damned machines showed up!" Damien growled as he fired a random burst towards the enemy.

"We hold here until they arrive. No falling back, by the will of Kane!" Casey shouted.

Tabok gritted his teeth at the order, knowing that they would be overrun in minutes if they didn't receive help. The Railgun tank continued to blow apart cover, leaving Nod forces exposed to the enemy infantry. Tabok continued to fight, taking down as many enemies as he could. But GDI was determined to defend their home, and fought with a ferocity Tabok had not seen in GDI soldiers before.

"Lieutenant, we have to pull back! If we stay here, we will be wiped out!" Damien argued.

Lieutenant Casey was about to reply when the Railgun tank fired again, destroying yet another piece of cover, and obliterating several men behind it. Those who were spared being torn apart by the hypersonic slug, were swiftly shot dead by vengeful GDI soldiers, as they continued their slow advance forward.

"We can't retreat! Honour in death Sergeant!"

Damien growled at the man, and Tabok knew he wanted nothing more than to smash his faceplate in. But fortunately Damien turned to keep shooting. However, Damien was right, they would be overrun any moment now, and GDI could potentially form a counterattack to push the Nod army out.

Tabok fired a three round burst at a GDI grenadier, causing him to collapse like a puppet with its strings cut. He shifted his aim to find another target, but stopped when he noticed the Railgun tank was aiming directly at him! He knew that there would be no surviving a blast from its cannon, so he did the only thing a warrior of the Brotherhood could do before death: pray.

"Merciful Messiah, may the glory of Tiberium be everlasting. May this world be transformed by the Holy Crystal, and all who are faithful be redeemed in Ascension. Merciful-"

Tabok's prayer was interrupted by a blinding blue flash, before his suit screamed at him from a sudden burst of heat. When his vision cleared, the Railgun tank was a smoldering ruin, its coils burning and sparking. Tabok wondered if the railgun had somehow malfunctioned, but his theory was debunked as he witnessed a ball of Tiberium plasma annihilate a GDI machine gun squad. A Cyborg Commando walked onto the parade ground, destroying everything in its path. Following just behind was a squad of regular cyborg troops, tearing apart anyone who had survived the Commando's initial assault.

Tabok and the others watched as within seconds, the GDI soldiers who had been threatening to overwhelm them were wiped out. None were able to escape, as the cyborgs killed them without mercy. No words were exchanged between the two groups, and the cyborgs began moving away, off to reap more carnage.

"_All units! Converge on the north side of the base! Enemy OCV is attempting to lift off!"_

"You heard the General! Double time!" Casey roared.

The haggard platoon charged across the broken and bloodied field, running to catch up with the cyborgs. The sounds of battle grew in intensity around them, as Nod forces began to push harder into the base. A new sound began to rise above the gunfire and explosions, one Tabok figured was the massive engines of the OCV powering up.

As the platoon made their way around the ruins of an armory, they came out onto a massive airfield, large enough to hold the GDI flying carriers. The airfield was filled with multiple battles, between groups of infantry fighting from cover to cover, to Scorpion and Aegis tanks dueling one another. However, what caught Tabok's attention, was the large ship now slowly lifting into the air, the words '_GDS Ontario_' were printed on the hull. It was blackened and dented from multiple impacts, clearly from being inside an Ion storm. Large sections of armour were missing, no doubt to conduct repairs. The OCV wasn't ready for flight, but the crew had evidently decided to risk it to avoid capture.

"_Do not let that thing escape! I want everyone firing on it now!"_

The OCV struggled to gain altitude, just as a torrent of rockets, tanks shells, and even small arms fire racked the ship. Attack Bikes and Tick tanks fired everything they had, and even risked leaving themselves vulnerable to enemy attacks. The Nod forces continued to pound away at the _Ontario, _but it didn't seem to be enough. Tabok spotted several Titan walkers lumber onto the airfield, and began blasting apart the distracted Nod vehicles. It seemed as though the ship would get away.

Fear settled in Tabok's stomach. Fear that if the _Ontario _got away, it could cost them the battle for Hammerfest, as then GDI would be able to bring forth more reinforcements than the Brotherhood could prepare for. However, there was little he could do except fight back against the enemy, and watch the ship slip away. That is, until a flurry of rockets suddenly started exploding against the ship, ripping open the engine casing. Tabok looked around and spotted a dozen Stealth Tanks materialize nearby. They fired another barrage, just as the Titans turned their guns on them. The second volley struck the exposed engine, and with a thundering boom, the _Ontario _began to plummet back to the earth.

Tabok and the others gave a hefty cheer, as they watched the ship crash into the frigid waters and the rocky cliffs. The entire ground shook from the impact, and a great plume of water and ice was sent into the air. The Brotherhood had just destroyed one of the seven Orca Command Vehicles, and it made them feel invincible!

The GDI forces on the other hand, seemed demoralized by the ship's destruction. The Nod troops returned their attention to the enemy, but they had already suffered heavy losses. Between the combined force of the Aegis and Titans, Nod armour was being easily destroyed. The infantry failed little better, as Wolverines scything through them.

"_All units__,__ be advised. Fire support incoming, danger close! I repeat, danger close!" _

Tabok and his squad ducked behind a ruined Raptor fighter, and pressed themselves as low as they could. More Nod forces began to pull back from the airfield, just as artillery began to rain down. Nod Cobra SPGs, somewhere far off in the rear, began bombarding the GDI positions with the force of an angered giant. The sound was deafening, and the ground once more shook violently, but this time lasting much longer.

Tabok attempted to peak his head up, to see the effect the artillery barrage was having, but he could see little through the smoke and flames. It felt like the barrage would last for hours, but it abated after a few minutes. When the dust finally cleared, Tabok gawked at the aftermath: Aegis tanks, Titan, and Wolverine walkers had been ripped asunder. The entire airfield was pockmarked with large blast craters, and the sounds of dying and wounded men quickly filled the silence.

Nod soldiers began to move back out onto the field, executing the mortally wounded, or leaving the savable ones to the apothecaries. The confessors would have their work cut out for them today.

Tabok and Phong followed Damien as he led them back into the airfield. The tanks and other vehicles were already moving off to help secure the rest of the base. Gunfire could still be heard, but it was far less intense now. It was clear that with the death of the _GDS Ontario,_ the battle for Hammerfest was all but won.

"_Centurion 1-3, this is Valkyrie 1-1. I need you and your platoon to meet back up with Cyborg Unit Gamma. Orders are to take control of the GDI Ion Cannon Control Center. How copy?" _Joyce suddenly commanded over the radio, her voice sounding like an angel to Tabok.

"_Centurion 1-3 copies. Out. Come now, Brothers and Sisters, our mission is not yet complete." _

Lieutenant Casey led the platoon away from the airfield, and back into the ruins of Hammerfest. They encountered no resistance as they marched through the devastated base, meeting only the dead. Exhaustion was beginning to creep up on Tabok, but the excitement of their immanent victory was able to keep it at bay. After today, no one would dare doubt the Black Hand. Today's victory would surely earn them redemption in the eyes of the Brotherhood and the Prophet.

The platoon came upon a squat, blocky building with two large cylinders in front of it. Both cylinders were covered in antennae and radar dishes. This building could direct the Ion Cannon satellites to target any Nod position in Northern Europe, if the satellites were in the proper orbit. Tabok felt a surge of pride, as the Brotherhood could now finally release the oppressor's stranglehold on the Earth. The crusade of liberation, started more than thirty years ago, was coming to a close.

The Cyborg Commando and its compatriots from earlier stood outside the door. The burnt and twisted remains of GDI Rangers were littered nearby.

"GDI forces are attempting to activate the Ion Cannon as a final, desperate act of defiance. We must secure the facility, and prevent the Ion Cannon from firing." The Cyborg Commando reported.

"Lead the way, machine." Casey hissed.

Two cyborgs ripped the doors open, and stepped inside. The Commando followed soon after, along with the human platoon. Tabok had expected to come into a building filled with tight hallways and numerous rooms. So he was fairly surprised to find the building was just one massive room, dominated by row after row of mainframes. He noted an upper level where offices and a control room were situated, and was accessible only via a staircase. The room was covered in a thick fog, as cooling systems worked to keep the mainframes cooled. Tabok could already feel enemy troops waiting in ambush.

"Move with caution people. Cyborg, you secure the lower level, we-"

Lieutenant Casey disappeared in a sudden flash. Two cyborgs had also been blasted apart by the claymore, twisting and writhing on the ground as blood and oil poured out from their shattered forms. Tabok stared down at Casey, most of his body missing, just as bullets began to fly out from the fog.

"Into cover!" Damien shouted.

Tabok was pulled behind a mainframe by Phong, as bullets began ripping into the cyborgs who remained out in the open. The machines fired back into the fog, hoping to hit their unseen enemy. The room briefly lit up every time the Commando fired a ball of plasma. They could hear men scream in agony, but still had no idea where they were. Tabok fired a wild spray in the direction he thought he saw something, but he had no idea if he hit anyone.

Tabok instinctually flinched when he heard a loud crack. He looked around to see if anyone was hit, but was surprised when the Cyborg Commando stumbled into cover with them, its cannon arm now missing.

"Enemy sniper is using a high powered anti-material rifle. My primary weapon is disabled." The Commando reported, in an eerily calm tone.

"Do you know where the sniper is?" Damien asked.

"Affirmative. I have tracked their position, request usage of your rifle."

"How're you going to shoot with one arm?" Phong asked.

"Extra appendages are not required to operate weapon effectively."

Tabok could almost imagine that being a joke, if the Cyborg didn't say it so deadpanned.

Damien handed the Cyborg his rifle, and the thing handled it well for only having one arm. It stepped back into the open and fired a single burst into the fog. After a moment nothing happened, then the Cyborg loudly announced,

"Target eliminated."

The remaining regular cyborgs charged into the fog, where they disappeared from sight.

"Alright machine," Damien started as he snatched his rifle back. "You secure this floor. I'll take my men and secure the control room."

"Affirmative."

The Cyborg Commando stomped off, as Damien motioned for the human soldiers to head upstairs. Tabok and Phong took the lead, as they slowly ascended, careful to watch out for more claymores. They entered the control room, only to find all the consoles smoking and ruined, and several officers having shot themselves to avoid capture. The battle for Hammerfest was over, and the Brotherhood of Nod had won. While the Ion Cannon was now beyond their reach, they still could destroy the _Philadelphia_ and rid the tyrants of their power.

"Hey Sergeant, how long until the space station passes over?" Tabok asked.

"In two days. We have to hold this base until then." Damien replied.

"In two days the throne of evil shall come crashing down, and all the faithful shall rejoice. Let the infidels come: they shall find only death!" Phong boasted.

Tabok smiled and shouted out his agreement.

"Peace through power!"

The others in the room carried the chant, and soon it spread across the entire base. The Nod forces celebrated their victory with one unified voice.

_**Peace through power!**_

… … …

**October 23****rd**

**2000**

Outside the Montauk, Nod engineers worked tirelessly to establish a permanent base around the captured GDI refineries. Harvesters were already collecting Tiberium to be processed into the tools and munitions the Brotherhood would need to secure and hold Hammerfest. CABAL's cyborgs also aided in the construction, quickly erecting Obelisks of Light and other defences. The darkness of night, and the heavy snowfall obscured his view of Hammerfest proper, but he knew his men were working on shoring up the abandoned GDI defences, and pillaging weapons and vehicles for their use. Some may think it heresy to use the tyrant's weapons, but Slavik found a poetic justice in it.

"CABAL has reactivated the Firestorm barriers, meaning GDI won't be able to get in the same way we did." Oxana reported as she walked over beside Slavik.

"Excellent. Have we detected any response from GDI?" Slavik asked, his focus still outside the window.

"Several patrols have gotten close to the outposts, but we haven't seen any movement from any larger force."

"No doubt they are preparing a substantial counter attack. We will need to be ready for McNeil."

"How do you know it will be him?"

"We have his brother, he will make this personal."

"And…you won't?" Oxana asked teasingly.

"No. McNeil will come, and I _will _kill him. But this is all in the name of Kane." Slavik said as he turned to face Oxana.

She flinched at the hardness in his voice and took a step back before bowing.

"Of course. One vision."

"One purpose." Slavik finished.

Oxana left the empty bridge, retiring for the night. Slavik knew he would need rest as well, but decided to wait to see if Higgs' ghost would show up. But when the spectre failed to show, Slavik just smiled and made his way to his quarters.

Victory was within reach, and soon the new Tiberium world would be baptized in the blood of GDI.

And anyone else who opposed Anton Slavik.

_**Author's note: A quick thing I want to clear up is the use of the Nod Scorpion tank in this story. In Operation Final Justice, and for the bulk of this story, Nod has been using the Scorpion tank from Generals and Generals 2. The "Scorpion MK II" is meant to be the tank seen in Tiberium Wars. Just so people don't get too confused.**_

_**Also, people may be wondering why there are so many Tiberium Wars units seen in this story about Tiberian Sun. And the simplest answer, is that in canon, most of **__**these vehicle were created **_**just **_**after TWII, and seen during the Rio Insurrection in 2034. So I don't think it's too much of a stretch to see them in 2030.**_

_**I have added the Railgun Tank from Generals 2, a unit from the European Union faction. I wanted to use this unit in a similar way to the Aegis tank, as a bridge between Tiberian Sun, and Tiberium Wars. The idea being, it was created**__** as a test bed vehicle for GDI's eventual use of railgun technology. This is the last unit from Generals 2 that I will be using. **_

_**Another note, there are only three chapters left. While this is exciting that we are nearing the end of Part 2, several people may be wondering why this story seems so short, at only 15 chapters. The answer is that a lot of the missions in Tiberian Sun are awfully short and don't translate well to interesting stories to turn into full chapters.**_

_**Now while someone like Peptuck or my editor, IanOtter, might be able to work their magic, and make compelling chapters out of these missions**__**,**__** I have decided to streamline the story and make it more clean and to the point, without adding much filler.**_

_**Besides, by the time this story is done, it **_**should**_** be well over 100K words, which I think is a good length.**_

_**But let me know what you guys think. And there is of course the short story "Firestorm" right after, which will detail the Firestorm campaign.**_

_**Until next time.**_


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

"_Wars may be fought with weapons, but they are won by men. It is the spirit of men who follow and of the man who leads that gains the victory."_

_\- George S. Patton_

**Outside of Oslo, Norway**

**October 24****th****, 2030**

**0900**

The troop bay of the Orca Transport was filled with bustling conversation, as fresh newreplacements eagerly awaited their first deployment. Young men and women excitedly talked about the already famous 22nd Airborne, and their more famous commander: Michael McNeil.

Nearly fifteen hundred soldiers of the 603rd Rifle Regiment, of the GDI 82nd Airborne, had been redeployed and reassigned to help bolster the ranks of the 22nd. Originally, they had been slated to join the rest of the 82nd in the former country of Ukraine, to help stop Nod forces from joining up with additional armies from the divided regions of Russia. It had promised to mostly be boring patrol duties and border security. But now they would be taking part in front line offensives, and Private First Class Malakai Zemerik couldn't be happier. He had dreamed of being a war hero, and now he was being given the chance to fight on the front lines!

Zemerik looked around the troop bay at his friends, who had stuck by him since boot camp, and even a few fellow graduates from his high school. It was exciting; he felt like shouting and hollering and urging the pilot to hurry up. But he kept his composure, mostly to remain professional, partly to try and impress Corporal Nagata. Nagata was his high school crush, and his squad's heavy weapons expert.

She flashed him a grin, to which he replied with a sly smirk. Or at least, he hoped it came off that way.

"_T-minus five minutes! Pull up your panties and don't leave anything behind, because it will be mine!" _The pilot shouted back to them.

A few soldiers laughed, but most suddenly grew pale, the realization that they would be seeing real combat soon finally hitting them. But not Zemerik – no, he grew even more excited.

"Listen up people, because I will only say this once!" 2nd Lieutenant Tennant began, as he moved down the aisle. "Our regiment has been assigned to help recoup the losses the 22nd has suffered. Meaning: we will not be maintaining our original squads and platoons!"

An uproar overtook the cabin as soldiers began to protest. They had been together since basic: how could they be broken up now!?

"Shut up! Or you will be tossed out without a parachute! Now, I understand your frustrations, but keep in mind: we are replacements. Some of you may still end up together - a lot of companies and platoons took a heavy beating. But others will be divided up. That's just the way it is. Listen to your sergeants and platoon leaders like they are the Lord Jesus himself. If any bad news makes it to me, you can be damn sure Colonel Qureshi will hear about it! Now, grab your gear, and get ready for landing!"

Zemerik was still bummed to hear he may not get to stay with his friends, and he shot Nagata a concerned look. But he was too excited about going into combat to let it bother him too much.

The transport, along with several others and a large dropship, touched down in the hastily made base outside of Oslo. The entire encampment was built around an Orca Command Vehicle, one Zemerik recognized as the _Kodiak. _He unstrapped himself from his seat and got in line with the others, standing directly behind Nagata. They all hastily marched out of the ship, and into the cold Scandinavian air. Countless soldiers nearby began to gawk at the recruits, while countless hushed conversations also started. Zemerik wasn't expecting some big party for their arrival, but he certainly wasn't expecting scorn and suspicion.

As the new troops began to assemble, a Captain strode out to meet them. Zemerik started to smile again, eager to meet the man who had led troops into battle.

"Listen up, you shiner fucked inbreeds! You are to report to your new units, ASAP! If I hear or see anyone slacking off or getting lost, you will be disciplined. This isn't boot camp anymore, faggots! This is the front! Listen to your betters if you want to live. If not, try not to damage your equipment - better soldiers might be able to use it. My name is Captain Mitch, and I don't care what Colonel Qureshi or you academy graduate pukes have to say. This is the 22nd Airborne, we have experience, you don't. Dismissed."

Captain Mitch walked off as quickly as he had come. The soldiers of the 603rd were shocked at the hostile reception, but, fearing their new CO's wrath, quickly dispersed. Zemerik said his goodbyes to his friends, and to Nagata, before checking his personal tablet to find out where he was going. 2nd Squad, 1st Platoon, Alpha Company, the very same company commanded by Captain Mitch.

Great. Hopefully his new squad would be nicer.

Zemerik made his way through the camp, looking for his new squad, and careful to stay out of the way of everyone. They all gave him dirty looks, and he couldn't understand why. He remembered in history class, that midway through the Second World War, and even the First Tiberium War, that soldiers often mistreated replacements. But that was years into those wars; this one had only gone on for a month. Why was everyone so angry?

Maybe he would find the answers later, but for now, it was time to meet his squad.

He came up to the small tent billeted to the three, now four, man squad. He took a deep breath, then entered the tent, only to find it empty. There were four cots, with three clearly having been taken, judging by the personal effects on or under them. Zemerik had watched enough war movies to know not to accidentally take someone's cot, so he carefully placed his bag down in the corner and sat on the edge of the seemingly untaken cot.

Zemerik wasn't sure if he should wait, or try to find his squad, but remembering the Captain's warning, he opted to stay put. He scanned through his tablet, to see if Lieutenant Tennant or Colonel Qureshi had given any new orders. The only message he had received was a list of names of the command staff. He was about to read it when someone walked in.

The new arrival had corporal's chevrons, and looked at Zemerik with utter shock. Zemerik got to his feet and was about to introduce himself, when the man spoke up first.

"What the fuck are you doing here?"

"I'm Private-"

"Shut up! I asked _what _you are doing here. I don't give a shit about your name, greenhorn."

"I've been assigned to 2nd Squad, 1st Platoon. This is it, is it not?"

"Oh fuck me! No way we are getting a gods damned greeny!"

"I-"

"Val! Val get in here!"

"What're you screaming about, Prevost?"

Another man came into the tent. He was much larger and had olive skin, and wore the insignia of a sergeant. Zemerik fought the urge to salute him like his old drill sergeant, and instead said,

"Private First Class Zemerik, reporting for duty, Sergeant!"

"Ah shit." The Sergeant groaned.

"Val, you said we were getting someone from 3rd Platoon. Not some green piece of shit." The first man, Prevost protested further.

"I don't make the rules, Corporal. Ah, fuck. Alright new guy, listen carefully: I am your sergeant, you will listen to me, you will do what I say and when I say it. I don't give a shit who you are, what you did, or how well you suck cock. Just stay quiet and do what you are told, got it?"

Zemerik just nodded, already afraid to piss off his new sergeant.

"This is Corporal Achilles Prevost. I'm sure you can tell, he doesn't like you; don't expect that to change. The last member of the squad is Corporal John Lancaster. Do not, and I repeat, _do not_ ask him about his dad, got that?"

Zemerik nodded again, but now his mind was racing. John Lancaster was in his squad!? The son of the famous battle-commander!?

"Good. Me and the Corporal are going out; I'm sure you know we have a big mission tomorrow. Make yourself at home, don't touch anything, and just stay here."

And with that, Sergeant Xhaferi and Corporal Prevost left, leaving Zemerik alone in the tent. He sighed and went to work unpacking his stuff, careful to maintain as small a space as possible. He supposed it could have gone worse, but his earlier excitement was firmly shattered. He wondered how Nagata was doing: was she being treated roughly too?

Just as he finished unpacking, another figure stepped into the tent. Zemerik guessed it was Corporal Lancaster, and the man gave a neutral smile to Zemerik.

"So, you're the new guy, huh? Val told me you showed up. I'm John."

John extended his hand, and Zemerik shook it with a surprised look. John just laughed as he pulled away.

"Not expecting such a cold welcoming, huh? Best get used to it kid."

"Right. Uh, do you mind if I ask why everyone seems so hostile?" Zemerik asked timidly.

"We lost a lot of friends, and in a really short time. We haven't had much time to grieve, being thrown into one hell after the other. So my advice? Keep quiet and do as everyone says. And don't take things too personally."

"Thanks Corporal. You're the first really nice person I've met today."

"Just call me John."

"Thanks. Hey, I know Sergeant Xhaferi said not to ask, but is it true your dad is taking command? I thought he was retired?"

John's face grew hard, and Zemerik instantly feared he had pissed off the first person to be nice to him.

"Why the fuck would my father be in command? He's back in Washington."

Zemerik gave John a confused look, which turned to even more fear as he realised he had just delivered news he may not have been supposed to.

Oh well, he already dug his grave, might as well jump in.

"I guess you didn't hear. Commander Lancaster is here. On the Kodiak."

… … …

McNeil's stomach growled painfully, causing the young boy to weep. His older brother, Jake, rushed over to him. He handed Michael a chunk of stale bread, but to him, it tasted like the best thing ever.

It had been three days since the food ran out, and even longer since the soldiers took their mom and dad away. The McNeil brothers had no idea why they were taken, but it was something about being 'filthy heretics and GDI lovers'. At least, that's what the Loyalty Officer said, when he left the young boys alone in their family home.

"How will we get more food?" Michael asked.

"I don't know, no one wants to help us anymore. But maybe Father Ortega will help; he has to, he's a priest." Jake said assuredly.

"I miss mommy and daddy." Michael began to weep again.

"Stop it you baby. We have to stay strong, and stay together, right?"

"R-right." Michael said as he wiped his tears away.

Both brothers jolted when they heard a loud sound from outside. It was followed by another, then another.

"What's going on?" Michael asked.

"I don't know. I'll go look."

Jake began to walk towards the door, when the sound of gunfire boomed out nearby. Both McNeil children ran to the corner of the room, where they huddled together. They had heard gunshots before, but this was different: it was louder, and longer. Michael didn't know what was happening, he was scared and he just wanted his mom and dad back!

Suddenly, the door to their house burst open, and a man stepped inside. He didn't wear the black armour like the soldiers did, his was lighter, and his helmet showed his face. Jake moved in front of Michael to try and protect him, and Michael felt in awe of his brother's bravery.

"Ah shit! Captain! We got two kids in here!" The strange man shouted to someone behind him.

Another man walked in and took a quick look at the kids. He was different from the others: he didn't wear a helmet, and he was much older than the other man. But he still looked big and scary. Michael read the name stenciled on the right breastplate of the man's armour: _Parker._

"Go on ahead, Corporal, I'll take care of this." The man named Parker said.

"You got it boss."

The first man left, and Parker slowly walked towards the kids, his hands up to show he wasn't planning to hurt them. But Jake still stood in front of his brother, trying to protect him. Parker stopped about halfway and knelt down, giving the two boys a reassuring smile.

"Hey guys, my name is Nick Parker. You don't have to be afraid. I'm here to help." Parker said soothingly.

"You're GDI, aren't you?" Jake asked.

"Yes, I am. And we don't want to hurt anyone."

"Mom said GDI would come save us one day. And then she was taken away. How come you didn't come when they were taken!?" Jake shouted.

Parker looked hurt by that, and Michael wanted to chastise his brother for being so mean.

"I'm sorry, son. I'm sorry I couldn't save them. But I can still help you boys. Come with me, and I'll take you away from here."

"Where will you take us?" Michael asked, speaking for the first time.

"Some place safe." Parker stated.

The two brothers looked at each other for a moment, before nodding their heads in agreement. Parker smiled, before saying something to himself, but Michael realized he must be talking into a radio.

"Come on boys, I'll take you to our ship."

The boys followed the big man, with Jake still hovering around Michael defensively. Michael just took his brother's hand and squeezed it, proud of his brother for being so brave.

"Thanks, Mister Parker." Michael said.

"Just call me Havoc. All my friends do."

Havoc led them outside, where they could see GDI soldiers moving through the small farming town. They also saw the dead bodies of Nod soldiers, and even a few of the other men of the town. Families had been rounded up and divided into two groups. One group was crying, with women praying to the sky while men shouted angrily. The other group was happy, thanking the GDI soldiers and excitedly looking towards the big ship that now sat in the town square.

The brothers looked at each other excitedly: they would get to ride in that big thing!?

"You're safe now boys. GDI will take care of you." Havoc said.

Michael just smiled. He was sad to leave his house behind, and his parents, who he had no idea what happened to them. But he was happy to be leaving this town, where the mean soldiers had taken them away.

Michael and Jake walked up the ramp of the ship, and Michael knew he would be safe, because he had Jake to protect him.

McNeil opened his eyes as the memory began to fade away. He was on the Kodiak, preparing to retake Hammerfest base: where Jake was. Those Nod bastards had taken the base over, and were now threatening to destroy the _Philadelphia_. But McNeil couldn't help but think about his brother. Rationally, McNeil knew his brother was probably dead. But emotionally, he had to hold on to hope that Jake was okay, that he could still save his brother.

When he had first heard from General Solomon that the base had been attacked, McNeil's heart sank. It had been awhile since he had talked to Jake, but he was still his older brother. At the time, he had instantly began to think of how his heroes may have saved Jake, back in their prime. How Havoc would have just snuck into the base and fought his way through Nod soldiers, or how Mark Lancaster would have thought up some great strategy and kicked those Nod bastards out. But they were not the ones here, attempting such a mission. Besides, someone had once told him, _'don't meet your heroes'. _He never quite got that expression. Until today.

Before the arrival of the replacements from the 603rd Regiment, a battalion of Rangers from the legendary 7th Infantry Division had arrived at McNeil's request. What he hadn't requested was the presence of Commander Andreas, or retired-Commander Lancaster. The famous war hero now walked around the Kodiak's bridge, leaning heavily on his cane. His grey hair was still trimmed in military fashion, and he wore unmarked fatigues, as if he were still a soldier.

The rest of the bridge crew were standing by, some in awe of the walking legend, others in fear. McNeil was more annoyed that the man had walked onboard and acted like he owned the place; hero or not, he wasn't military anymore.

"Solomon owes me fifty credits. I told him we would see flying battleships." Mark Lancaster chuckled to himself.

Despite his prosthetic leg, and reliance on his cane, Mark still stood tall and proper, and never lost his commanding presence.

"Its an honour to have you here, sir. But, why are you here?" McNeil asked for the second time.

"Well, I was visiting Sergio when he got the call from Solomon. I decided to tag along. You know, my son serves under your command."

"Yes sir, I am aware."

McNeil shot Chandra a confused look, before turning back to Mark.

"With all due respect. The battlefield is no place for a civilian. And you _are _a civilian, sir."

"Listen, son. I know about the dire situation we are in. We have less than two days to stop Nod before they attack the _Philadelphia. _I am here to help advise you, and I suggest you take my advice."

"I will have to take this up with General Solomon."

"Be my guest. But James will be more than happy to have me advising you. This is a highly critical mission. If we had time, we would have a much larger force try to retake Hammerfest, along with someone more competent."

"Excuse me?" McNeil asked, shocked at Mark's abrasiveness.

"Someone like General Harkin, or Brigadier-General Granger. Men of higher skill. But alas, time is not on our side. Don't take my words as insult, Commander, I am here to help you."

"Chandra, call General Solomon. Ask him for permission to remove our…_esteemed _guest."

"Very charming Commander. Now then, if you don't mind, I'd like to speak with my son. Lieutenant Brink, please call him up here." Mark ordered.

"Now listen here-"

"That will be all, Commander."

Mark's tone suggested an end to the conversation. But McNeil wanted to yell and scream at the man for assuming he could take command over his ship! But a glance at Commander Andreas told him to hold his tongue, as his fellow commander shook his head. McNeil growled, not afraid to show his anger at being ordered around by a civilian, but regardless, he nodded to Brink to follow the order given.

"Corporal Lancaster will be up shortly, sir." Brink stated.

"Excellent. Now then, let's look over your battle plans."

Mark walked over to the holographic table, which currently displayed a satellite view of Hammerfest base, and the Nod expansion that sprouted out like a cancerous growth. McNeil and Andreas followed him over, and the three men began discussing strategy.

McNeil had to begrudgingly admit that the old man still knew what he was doing. He came up with solid strategies and amended McNeil's own plans. And he did so with a surprising degree of respect, compared to his earlier showboating. Still, McNeil couldn't help but feel like he had just been sidelined, and now it was _Commander _Lancaster's show.

… … …

_Why was he here?_

John repeated the question to himself over a hundred times. Now he forgot if he had meant himself, or his father.

_Why was he here?_

Mark Lancaster was retired, but he still made it a habit to visit bases, or his old unit. And rumor had it that a battalion from the 7th was here. So maybe that's why? But then, why was he calling for his son to come to the command bridge? A place no lowly corporal should ever be. Shouldn't Commander McNeil have stopped that?

There was simply too many questions, and only one way to find out. He wished Matthew was with him - it was always much easier to face their father together.

John entered onto the bridge, and resisted the urge to look around. He did, however, notice the bridge was empty, save for three people. Commanders McNeil and Andreas, and his father. He gave a sharp salute, to which both commanders returned. But they both gave a quizzical look as John maintained his salute, only lowering it when his father returned it.

"Gentlemen, if you don't mind, I would like a word with my son."

"Listen here, Lancaster! This is my ship and-" McNeil began.

"Come on Mack, let's leave them to it." Andreas interjected.

McNeil huffed but followed the Italian man out, leaving the two Lancasters alone. They stared each other down for a moment, neither seeming to know what to say. But, as always, Mark Lancaster spoke first.

"So…still slogging it as a grunt eh? When do you plan toapply for the officer corps?"

John sighed loudly, not afraid to incur his father's wrath.

"When the war is over, sir." John stated flatly.

"I see. I suppose there is some nobility in that. But your talents would be better suited to command. I can put in a good word for you at the academy in Reykjavik. Or perhaps the one in Seoul. Or-"

"Dad. I don't want your recommendations or good words. I want to do this myself."

"I'm just doing what is best for you."

"Well, stop doing it! I want to be my own man, and make my own choices."

And just like that, the same argument the Lancaster men had had for over five years once again boiled forth.

"Oh yes, 'your own man.' Much like your brother? Gallivanting around in Toronto, wasting his life away."

"Matt has an apprenticeship as an engineer, working directly for GDI! He's doing great work, dad."

John felt himself getting heated from the argument. He hated his father for how easily he could rile him up, and how he completely disregarded Matt's achievements.

"Yes, yes, that's all well and good. But we Lancasters have a military tradition to uphold! A sacred duty to serve and protect the free world! What would your grandfather think?"

"That you're an asshole." John mumbled.

Mark didn't seem to have heard John's remark as he continued.

"Listen, I love your brother. He is_ my_ son, I just want what is best for you. He has made his decision, but you still have potential. And I will be damned if I see you waste it."

John felt like screaming! How dare his father just so casually disregard his own son! John couldn't take much more of this, he wanted to storm out, but instead, decided he would much rather finally see his father suffer.

"When was the last time you talked to Matt?"

John couldn't help but smile as Mark visibly flinched.

"You damn well know how long it has been." Mark growled.

"Wonder why he never talks to you? Oh wait, it's because you're a hateful, old bastard."

"Watch yourself boy…"

"You are the one who drove him away. You are the reason I joined the Airborne, so I could get away from you! You spiteful, arrogant, bastard!" John was heaving with anger.

Mark grew furious as he readied to chastise John, but John wasn't going to take it any longer.

"I don't know why you came here, but I'm done with you. I don't want anything to do with you "

"Enough of this childishness-"

"Matt's getting married."

Silence fell over the bridge. John felt a cruel and vindictive smile stretch across his face, as he watched his father go from angry, to sad.

"Matt…is getting married? But he's so young! Why…"

A single tear formed in Mark's eye, and John felt bad at how happy the sight made him feel. But he pushed his conflicting emotions aside, and decided to drive the final strike home.

"If that is all, sir. I would like to take my leave."

"No John! Don't go. Please."

"I'm afraid I don't have to take orders from you. If you'll excuse me, my squad needs me."

John left the bridge as his father called out for him. But John ignored him and kept walking, trying to stop the tears from flowing.

… … …

A few minutes had passed since Corporal Lancaster had left, and Mark finally opened the door to McNeil and Andreas. McNeil had no idea what the two had been discussing, but it was clear it had ended poorly, and the elder Lancaster was still hurt by it. However, the old man was able to slip back into being the old commander that he once was, as he looked over the map once more.

"The problem will be taking out all three ICBMs at the same time." Mark began, a slight tremble to his voice.

"My Rangers can take out this one here," Andreas started. "The problem is getting past the Firestorm barrier, but we'll find a way."

"I'll have my men paradrop onto the base. I can divert a team to take out this ICBM." McNeil added.

"Then we should convert all focus to the base, and the final launcher. There's something else. McNeil, I understand the desire to kill Slavik is a strong one, and the fact that he is within your reach is tempting. Believe me, I know the feeling. But we must remained focused."

"I know. Just hope I still get the chance."

"Don't worry, you will."

"So. How's the plan? You are my advisor now after all." McNeil said, a little too venomously.

"It's a solid plan, and you have some of the best damn soldiers under your command."

A tear formed in Mark's eye, and McNeil and Andreas exchanged an uncomfortable glance.

"If you will excuse me gentlemen, I need to make some calls. You will do fine, Mack, and I'm here to help guide you."

Mark Lancaster left the bridge, leaning heavily on his cane. McNeil sighed as he rested his arms against the table. Andreas walked over to, and sat in McNeil's command chair, swiveling it around to face McNeil.

"I will be returning to Fort Weisswolf soon. The man in charge of my Rangers is Colonel Dunston. He's a solid man, and the men respect him. He won't let you down." Andreas remarked.

"Glad to hear it. And thank you, Sergio."

"I wish I could bring my whole Division to bare. But Nod is making trouble in Europe. We just can't risk letting them get a foothold."

"I understand. And once I have things wrapped up here, I'm going to go and kill Kane."

"Not if I get to him first."

The two men shared a laugh, but it ended quickly, leaving an awkward silence on the bridge. After a moment, Andreas got up and walked over to McNeil. He gave a salute, then nodded before leaving. McNeil watched him leave, but his mind was swimming: so much had to be done, and with time running out, he had to move quickly.

He needed to rescue his brother. He had to save the _Philadelphia._ And he wanted to kill Slavik. But what was troubling him, was that he wasn't sure which was the higher priority to him anymore.

… … …

**October 25****th**

**0700**

John kept his focus firmly on the red light, waiting for the instant it would turn green. The men of Alpha Company, old and new, stood ready to leap out the moment the colour changed. The new kid, Zemerik, was directly in front of him. The kid seemed calm, but John could tell he was deathly afraid.

One of the new lieutenants, some annoying asshole named Tennant, was busy giving a rousing speech. But John tuned it out; it was all just bullshit from a morale booklet. These men had never faced real combat, and no amount of training could prepare them. Within seconds, they would all jump from the transport, and parachute down to the Nod controlled remains of Hammerfest. There, these newbies would have to prove themselves.

The transport began to shake, indicating they were passing through anti-air fire. John could imagine the Orca fighters and Raptor jets flying ahead to clear a path, as dozens of transports and dropships flew behind.

"…Their Prophet thinks he can take on GDI! Let's show them why they're wrong!" Lieutenant Tennant finished.

The new recruits all shouted in unison, but the veterans remained quiet.

Then, the light turned green.

The next few moments went by in rapid succession: the ramp lowered, allowing the roaring wind and exploding AA shells to fill the bay. Then the line moved forward as men jumped out. Finally, Zemerik jumped, and John followed seconds later.

Hammerfest was sprawled out below him, with tracer rounds and rockets streaming into the air as Orcas tried to clear the area for the paratroopers. The pale light of dawn illuminated the parade ground John and his platoon were aiming for, and he could even see Zemerik deploy his chute, just a few seconds too early. Just before John pulled his own chute, his attention was drawn to the massive wreck of the _GDS Ontario, _crashed against the rocky shore. He could also see swarms of Nod forces firing at the defending GDI troops, while tanks moved into position. John pulled his gaze away and pulled the cord to deploy his chute.

He slowed his descent towards the ground, as an Orca flew past, firing a rocket at a Tunguska. John hit the ground and immediately detached his chute before running to a downed Nod Harpy for cover. Zemerik, Prevost, and Xhaferi were already there. John crouched down, as more soldiers parachuted down, and the sky bloomed with light as several of the slower moving dropships were destroyed.

"1st Platoon! We need to connect with the rest of Alpha, and secure the airfield!" Tennant shouted.

The platoon quickly moved from the parade ground, passing the husk of an experimental Railgun tank. The amount of death and destruction around John made him feel somber; so many people had died here.

"Dude, this is awesome! Can't wait to bag my first Noddie!"

Unfortunately, Zemerik did not share in the same humbling feeling.

"Greeny, keep your mouth shut!" Prevost shouted.

Another dropship exploded above them, raining debris across the base. In response, more Raptors sped past, dropping their payloads and causing the base to rumble. However, by this point, the sky had cleared of paratroopers, meaning they had all landed, dead or alive.

1st Platoon kept marching through the ruins, nearing the airfield. They had just turned around an intersection, coming up to a series of warfactories, when they made first contact with the enemy. Two squads of Nod infantry and three cyborgs were standing guard by a GDI SAM turret, which was currently shooting down GDI airships.

The platoon darted for cover, splitting into individual squads. Xhaferi led John and the others to a half crumbled concrete barrier. John and Prevost immediately began firing on the cyborgs, recognizing them as their greatest threat. Zemerik, meanwhile, was firing sporadic bursts towards the Nod infantry. While it wasn't completely wild and wasted shots, he certainly wasn't being conservative with his ammo, and it required Xhaferi to chastise him to get the young soldier to shoot straight.

John and Prevost's combined fire managed to destroy one of the cyborgs, but they had drawn the attention of the other two, forcing them into cover. Zemerik peeked up to fire again, but quickly ducked back down as the cover was pelted by heavy fire.

"Damn it! I haven't gotten a single kill yet!" Zemerik protested.

"Keep your head in the game, kid!" Xhaferi barked.

The squad rose up in unison and fired on the encroaching cyborgs. Thankfully another squad also added their fire and the two machines went down. The regular Nod infantry continued to fight back, but they had already suffered several losses. John was confident they could easily win the firefight, until one of the warfactory's bay doors opened. A Railgun tank slowly lumbered forward, the Nod Scorpion insignia hastily painted over the GDI diving eagle. The tank fired, wiping out a squad comprised almost entirely of new recruits.

"Corporal Nagata! Move up and take out that tank!" Tennant shouted.

"Corporal, belay that! Regroup on me, we can cover!" Xhaferi yelled quickly.

John and Zemerik both looked to the Corporal, who stood motionless for a moment. Finally she ran towards John and the others, plopping down with her rocket launcher.

"LT looks mighty pissed, Sarge." Nagata stated in way of greeting.

"He can suck a Tib' crystal. Wait for my mark, then take out that damned tank."

"Wilco. Hey Zemerik, watch my back?"

"Always."

"Squad, suppressing fire!"

John and the others stood to hose down the enemy. Several Nod riflemen had moved ahead with the tank, and were caught out of cover. Xhaferi then gave the signal to Nagata, who aimed and fired her rocket. It impacted against the coils on the back, just as the tank was getting ready to fire. The coils exploded in a blue flash, which caused the barrel to melt. The tank came to a halt, and the crew climbed out, wreathed in flames. They died before they even hit the ground, and the remaining Nod troops fled deeper into the base.

"Platoon! Advance!" Tennant commanded.

The platoon surged forward, walking passed the burning Railgun tank. However, before John's squad could take a few steps, Tennant came stomping over.

"Sergeant Xhaferi! I don't appreciate having my orders counteracted." Tennant seethed.

"Sir, with all due respect, you're green as Tiberium. It would be best if you took my advice, and accepted that sometimes your calls won't always be best."

John looked at the young Lieutenant, fearing he may try to flex his rank. But thankfully the man sighed and let his shoulders sag.

"I understand, Sergeant. And I appreciate you trying to watch out for me. Just…try not to undermine my authority. We should, as you say, work together."

"Understood LT."

Tennant nodded his head and moved ahead with his command squad, leaving John and the others to follow. They left the warfactory behind, and continued towards the airfield, where the sounds of fighting grew in intensity. Already two companies of paratroopers were battling against Nod forces and their defences, with both sides utilizing the wrecked vehicles and artillery craters as cover.

A handful of Wolverines had been airdropped from the dropships to help support the infantry. But it was going to be a hard fight, as Nod had deployed numerous light vehicles, and several Tick tanks which were in their stationary turret configurations.

The platoon split up and raced for different covers, with John's squad racing for a blast crater. They were joined by Nagata and her heavy weapon squad, which seemed to make Zemerik happy. John however, was more focused on their main objective: a Nod Tunguska.

"_Sergeant Xhaferi, Sergeant Ramirez, take out that AA! We'll cover you! On my go!"_

"Squad, move up to that downed Titan. Ramirez, take your squad, and set up by that rubble, over there. See it? Okay, let's go!"

John bolted from cover, firing a burst at a Nod soldier nearby. He and the others dashed for the Titan, with Zemerik just slightly ahead of him. The rookie fired from his hip, keeping another Nod fireteam down. The four men slid into cover behind the cannon of the walker, and immediately began firing on the enemy. Tennant and the rest of the platoon added their fire, as Ramirez and his squad jogged forwards. Once again, Nagata and one other soldier readied their rocket launchers, ready to take out the Nod AA. But the enemy became aware of their intent, and began pummeling the fallen Titan. John and the others were forced back into cover, which prevented the heavy weapons squad from attacking.

"Zee, cover me!" John shouted, as he readied a grenade.

Zemerik stood up to fire, holding down on the trigger to send a wild spray at the enemy. John took advantage of the momentary distraction and tossed the grenade, before pulling Zemerik and himself back into cover.

"Sarge! I count fifteen plus foot mobiles converging on our position!" John reported.

"Shit. Hunter 2-1, this is Hunter 2-6. We need armoured support or else we'll never take that AA down!"

"_Copy that 2-6. Hunter Actual, request fire support at our position. We've encountered heavy resistance." _Tennant stated a little too nervously.

"_Hunter 2-1, Bobcat 1-1 is__ en route__." _Captain Mitch replied.

The Nod forces continued to pound their position, making it impossible to return fire.

"All these fucking Noddies around and I still haven't gotten one kill!" Zemerik moaned.

"This ain't a fucking video game kid! Shut up and keep your head down!" Prevost barked.

A familiar stomping grew closer, which caused the incoming fire to lessen. John poked his head up and spotted three of Warren's Wolverines approaching. The three walkers opened up with their Vulcan cannons, drowning out all sound with the roar of their guns. Nod troops were literally eviscerated by the torrent of lead, leaving little left but piles of bloody meat.

With the Nod soldiers no longer keeping John and the others pinned, Corporal Nagata fired on the Tunguska. The rocket pierced through the turret, exploding and sending thick plumes of smoke shooting out from the chassis. John noticed similar explosions around the airfield, causing the AA fire filling the sky to stop.

"_All Hunter units, this Hunter Actual. Enemy AA has been neutralized, and reinforcements are en route. New objective is to clear out the airfield." _

"_Hunter 2-1 copies all. Platoon! Forward__,__ advance!" _

Xhaferi led both his and Ramirez's squads forward, following behind the Wolverines. With the destruction of the AA, the Nod forces had retreated to a large piece of wreckage from the _Ontario _that laid across the airfield. John could see numerous infantry platoons and vehicles arrayed to defend against the GDI attackers. Tick tanks were deployed in turret configurations, and newer Scorpions were already moving to engage the Wolverines. However, what gave John pause was the sheer number of cyborgs taking position on the front line.

"_This is Colonel Warren. Moving in to engage now! Request heavy weapon support on those tanks!" _

"_Enemy in the open!"_

"Squad! Open fire!" Xhaferi ordered.

John and Zemerik took cover near a pile of rubble and began firing at the line of cyborgs moving to engage the GDI force. The machines returned fire with arm mounted machine guns or autocannons, cutting apart GDI soldiers who were caught out of the cover. But the Wolverines fell upon the Nod machines, easily destroying them and leaving the airfield splattered with blood and oil.

John fired a burst at one cyborg, blowing a hole into its chest. But the thing kept coming, firing sporadically towards him. Zemerik got up and fired another burst into the hole, blowing out the Cyborg's back, and finally killing the thing.

"Yes! First kill!"

"Keep shooting and kill some more!" John encouraged.

The two kept firing, along with Prevost and Xhaferi. The cyborgs fell in droves, but they pushed on, heedless of their own death. John had another machine in his sights, but he gasped as he witnessed Colonel Warren's personal Wolverine be destroyed by a Nod Scorpion. The enemy tanks began punching through the Wolverines, and the lightly armoured walkers could do nothing to stop them.

"_All __units, be advised__, close air support is inbound. Repeat, close air support inbound." _Lieutenant Chandra suddenly stated.

John looked up to see Hammerhead gunships abruptly swoop down over the battle. Vulcan cannons and missiles streamed from weapon hard points, and destroyed Nod vehicles. The helicopters shifted to hover, allowing more infantry to repel down as they continued to target enemy vehicles.

The new arrivals rushed into cover, adding their fire to help stop the cyborgs and regular Nod troops. The enemy tanks had been destroyed, leaving only light vehicles. The Hammerheads continued to hover above, just as more Dropships were descending towards the airfield. Within minutes, Aegis tanks and Titans were rolling up to the front line, picking off what enemy vehicles the Hammerheads had missed.

The Nod forces retreated deeper into the base, and the GDI heavy armour gave pursuit. The Hammerheads broke off to refuel and rearm, leaving the infantry to pick their way through the carnage.

"_Alpha Company is to proceed to Objective X-Ray. Target is located near the primary communications hub. Bravo, we need you to retake the command center. Charlie, your objective is the Ion control building. Delta Company, work with the tanks and clear out the base. Let's get this done people!" _Commander McNeil urged.

John took a moment to watch as the various infantry companies split off. He also noticed the near constant flow of vehicles and troops coming off the Dropships. McNeil was throwing everything he had at the Brotherhood, and John just hoped it would all be enough.

"Corporal Lancaster!"

John turned to see Xhaferi waving him on. John jogged to catch up with his squad, as the entirety of Alpha Company made their way towards the rear of the base. Gunfire and smoke rose up from the buildings, acting as signals of the multiple firefights now taking place. It struck a cord within John, and from what he could tell, most of the others too, that Nod had attacked GDI so firmly in their own territory. It made him think about his brother, and if Nod had attacked someplace like Toronto, or Washington D.C. It would have been hard to believe before, but now, it was all too real of a possibility.

"Hey Nagata! How're you holding up?" Zemerik asked like a concerned mother.

John turned to see the young soldier walking just behind the taller woman, and the Corporal smile at his doting.

"I'm fine, Zee. But you ain't gotta worry about me." Nagata winked.

"Will you two shut your mouths? We are at war, kids." Prevost snapped.

"I'm older than you, Corporal Prevost." Nagata fired back.

"Yeah, but I've been fighting longer than you. That means a lot more."

"Contacts front!"

"Open fire!"

John immediately snapped up his rifle, and fired two burst down the street. He managed to kill two Nod soldiers, as several squads took position to stop the GDI forces. Alpha Company easily outnumbered the enemy, but Nod quickly brought a few machine guns to bear, forcing the GDI soldiers into cover. Zemerik darted into a small alley between two barracks, firing at the enemy to allow John and the rest of the squad to join him. The four men tried to hit one of the gunners, but the other Nod forces kept them well protected.

"_Hunter 2-1, this is Actual. Be advised that there is a SAM site a__t Objective X-Ray__. You must take it out so our air support can destroy the target."_

"_Hunter 2-1 copies! Platoon, let's roll!" _

Captain Mitch led the rest of the company to create an opening for Tennant's platoon. John and his squad finished off their magazines, before reloading and joining with Tennant and the other squads. They left the firefight and continued to the frost covered field outside the main comms building. There, John spotted the large ICBM launcher, with its missile already upright and ready to fire. All around it was more Nod soldiers and cyborgs, and the SAM turret.

"Sergeant Ramirez! Destroy that turret! Everyone else, take out those Nod bastards!" Tennant commanded.

Xhaferi led the squad behind a statue of a GDI soldier from the First War. John tossed a grenade at a cyborg, blowing off its leg. Meanwhile, Zemerik and Prevost were laying down a wall of fire at a squad of Nod Black Hand, while Xhaferi used his DMR to pick off individual targets. The other squads also tried to clear the field, but the cyborgs were making it difficult.

"Zee! Cyborg, right side!" Prevost called.

"Yeah I see him!"

"Lancaster! Cover me, I'm reloading!" Xhaferi warned.

John shifted his aim and shot a Nod soldier dead as he tried to get a bead on Xhaferi. The Sergeant got back up and fired three shots, blowing apart the Cyborg threatening the squad.

"Backblast cleared!"

"ROCKET!"

John turned to see Nagata ready to fire her rocket launcher. But instead of a missile streaking away from her, her entire upper torso was instead vaporized by a green ball. John's eyes grew wide with shock, as he traced the plasma ball back to its source: a Cyborg Commando.

"ENEMY COMMANDO!"

"Everyone target it down!" Tennant screamed.

The entire platoon fired on the Cyborg Commando in unison. Bullets, rockets, and grenades all exploded against the machine's thick armour. It fired another plasma bolt, killing more GDI soldiers. John felt his heart beat faster in fear, as the thing's red visor seemed to be staring right at _him. _John quickly ducked down to reload, just as another plasma bolt killed Sergeant Ramirez. John was about to stand back up to fire, when he noticed Zemerik was crying.

"Zee, what are you doing?"

"I-it killed her. That fucking thing killed her!"

Zemerik shot up and began shooting and screaming at the top of his lungs. John followed suit and fired again at the monstrosity. The sheer volume of fire being thrown at the Cyborg was finally taking its toll, as it began to slow, and cracks showed up on its armour. Another rocket exploded against its chest, and finally the thing went down.

"Everyone stay back! Get your heads down!" Xhaferi warned.

The platoon ducked back into cover, just as the Cyborg Commando exploded in a green flash. John's Tiberium Geiger counter went haywire at the sudden burst of Tiberium radiation. After a few minutes remaining in cover, John and Xhaferi poked their heads up.

The Commando had been replaced by a glowing crater, but the radiation levels were already dying down. There were no other enemies nearby, leaving the SAM exposed.

"Nagata…I…I never got to tell her…"

Zemerik had his head held in his hand, his whole body trembling. John felt sorry for the kid, but paid him no further attention, until Prevost began screaming.

"Listen here, fucker! People die, its war! You should have known that when you enlisted!"

"She was my friend!" Zemerik yelled back.

"Friends die! Do you know how many I lost!? Get over it, and do your job!"

"_Sergeant Xhaferi." _Tennant's voice cut through the screaming match.

"Go ahead Lieutenant."

"_Grab the demo charges from Ramirez's squad. And place them on the SAM."_

"Understood. Come on boys, let's go."

Prevost and Zemerik's argument was put aside, as the squad trudged over to the last three men of the Ramirez's heavy weapons squad. Zemerik glanced sadly at the smoking remains of Nagata, but John pushed him on, and turned his attention elsewhere. Xhaferi and Prevost grabbed the charges from a shell shocked private, and the squad continued on. They stepped over dead soldiers, human and machine, and carefully made their way to the SAM turret.

The four men each took one charge, and set them on the turret. Xhaferi made sure they were all set, then the squad jogged back towards Tennant. When they were clear of the blast zone, Xhaferi shouted over the radio,

"_Fire in the hole!" _

The charges detonated, and the turret exploded into a ball of flames and smoke. The men of 1st Platoon stood by and watched the flames, just another one of dozens that now darkened the early morning sky.

"_Actual, Hunter 2-1. AA destroyed, you are cleared to call in the airstrike."_

"_Copy that 2-1. Command, this is Hunter Actual. Objective X-Ray is open, requesting airstrike. Repeat, X-Ray is open! Requesting immediate airstrike."_

John didn't hear the response, but he craned his neck in the hopes of seeing the Raptors as they swooped in. The sky was filled with Orcas and Hammerheads, and the occasional Nod Harpy. But it was a few minutes before he spotted the shapes of the fighter jets as they flew towards him. Two Raptors fired off several rockets, which streaked through the air and into the ICBM launcher. The vehicle and the missile were destroyed, and creating an even larger inferno. The Raptors began to peel off, just as they were both destroyed in a flash of green.

The men all gasped in shock at the sudden loss of the jets, and the black and red plane that raced past just after. John watched the circular plane fly around, blowing the other GDI attack craft out of the sky with plasma. He had never seen such an aircraft before, and it was quickly taking away their air superiority.

"_Alpha Company, get back to the airfield! Our landing site is under attack by Nod Banshees. We need to hold long enough to get our own AA deployed!" _

Tennant didn't give the order to move, as the platoon was already running back to the airfield. The beleaguered platoon caught back up with the rest of the Company, as they ran past other GDI soldiers and tanks moving deeper into Hammerfest. More of the Banshees flew by overhead, forcing the GDI attack craft to fall back. More Raptors filled the skies, entering into fierce dogfights with the Banshees.

John became very concerned that one of the planes might fall onto his head, so he ducked down a bit and followed the others.

They came back to the airfield, and in the short time they had been gone, it had changed drastically. Most of the Dropships had left, but one had remained to serve as an emergency field hospital. Bunkers and defensive barriers had been quickly erected, and a few Titans and Pitbulls were arrayed to act like stationary turrets. Some of the Pitbulls were firing rockets into the air at the Banshees, but they all were easily disposed of by chaff.

"_Alpha Company, this is Command." _Lieutenant Chandra began_. "A Dropship is descending now. They are carrying M300s and M301s. That Dropship __**must **__make it to ground. Raptors are trying to keep the sky clear, but we have eyes on an enemy armoured unit converging on the airfield. Best of luck Alpha." _

"Get into positions! Get ready for the enemy assault!" Captain Mitch ordered.

Alpha Company dug in with other soldiers of the 22nd, hiding behind the hastily made dugouts. John and the others sat down to wait, as the remnants of Ramirez's squad set up their machine gun. John looked over at Zemerik, and could see the kid was still torn over the death of his friend. Prevost was staring daggers at the replacement, but kept his mouth shut. John shook Zemerik's shoulder, grabbing his attention.

"Hey, Zee. I know you're pissed about Corporal Nagata, but I need your head in the game."

"Yeah, I know. You ain't gotta worry about me, Corporal Lancaster."

"I said you could call me John. I know it's tough, but it will get better."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, I am."

"Thanks, man."

A detonation far above caused both men to glance up. They managed to catch a glimpse of the wreckage of a Raptor plummet to the earth, as two Banshees flew away.

"Nod forces approaching! Southern side of the Airfield!"

"_All units, prepare to engage. Titans will fire the first shots."_

"You ready, Zee?" John asked.

"Ready as I'll ever be."

"Wait for those Titans to fire. Then open up with everything you got." Xhaferi ordered.

Three Nod Scorpions rolled into view, followed by two Attack Buggies and a company of Black Hand infantry. John tensed as he waited for the enemy to get into range.

"Uh…Sergeant Xhaferi. Am I crazy, or is there something shimmering? Behind the Scorpions." Zemerik asked.

Xhaferi pressed his scope to his eye, only to drop it a split second later, his face pale.

"Hunter Actual! We have enemy Stealth tanks! Repeat, enemy Stealth-"

The Stealth tanks materialized at the same moment they fired a salvo of rockets. The missiles blew apart bunkers or destroyed Titans, causing them to collapse to the ground. The Scorpions fired a moment after, destroying more defences or the lightly armoured Pitbulls. In the chaos, Nod soldiers rushed forward, firing at the GDI defenders. Bullets began to fly in both directions, as GDI began to counter attack. John felt his helmet tighten around his ears to protect his hearing, as the nearby machine gun opened up, spewing hundreds of rounds at the enemy.

A few Titans managed to survive the initial barrage, and returned fire with their large cannons. A Stealth tank was cored, and exploded violently, leaving only one other Stealth tank left. The Scorpions tried to fell the last few Titans, but their shots went wide, giving the walkers the opportunity to fire the killing blow. However, just as it seemed like the Titans may destroy the enemy armour despite their initial surprise, a Banshee screeched down and fired several bolts of plasma. The Titans were reduced to slag, and the GDI forces lost their armoured support.

"Where is that damned dropship!" Prevost screamed over the roar of the fighting.

"Out of ammo! Reloading!" The gunner abruptly shouted.

"Covering fire!" Xhaferi barked.

John fired short bursts at the enemy, hoping to hit as many enemy combatants as he could. But his focus was distracted by the remaining Nod armour rolling towards them. One of the Buggies was destroyed by a man operated rocket launcher, and the other rendered inoperable by sustained machine gun fire. But the tanks shrugged off everything thrown at them, as they moved into position to fire at the grounded dropship.

John reloaded his rifle, and kept firing, taking down several Black Hand troopers. But the enemy pushed on relentlessly, slowing cutting down the GDI soldiers.

"_LT is hit! Medic! I need a medic!" _

"_Hunter 2-1, status!" _Captain Mitch snapped.

"_Lieutenant Tennant is hit! It-it doesn't look too bad, but he needs medical!" _

"_3__rd__ Platoon, move up and help 1__st__ Platoon!"_

John tried to find Tennant and his command squad, but couldn't see them amongst the chaos. The machine gun roared to life once again, and a trio of Nod soldiers were cut apart.

"Where's a damned Mammoth when you need one!?" Prevost asked as he reloaded.

John was about to reply, but stopped as he noticed a vast shadow eclipse over the airfield. The dropship was descending rapidly, several small flames licking its thick armour as Banshees attempted to shoot it down. The remaining Stealth tank also fired a salvo at the lumbering ship, but its rockets fell short, and the tank was destroyed by a flurry of rocket launchers.

The dropship had barely reached the ground before its ramp lowered, and several Hover MLRS vehicles drove out. One of the Hover vehicles fired at the Scorpion tanks, ripping them apart like tin cans. Two others swiveled their rocket pods to the sky, and let loose a whirlwind of missiles. Several Banshees were destroyed by the sheer number of missiles thrown into the sky. It gave the Raptors the desperately needed advantage, and quickly began to regain the upper hand.

The Banshees broke off, retreating back to the Nod controlled portions of the base. The remaining Black Hand soldiers continued to fight, but were quickly routed without their armour or air support. With the airfield once again safe, the dropship was able to finish unloading its cargo, which consisted of numerous M300s and several lighter vehicles and additional soldiers.

John slouched down in the dugout, wishing this battle would be over. But his moment of respite was short lived, as Lieutenant Chandra was once again giving orders over the radio.

"_Good work securing our landing site, Alpha. We have just received confirmation that Objective Yankee has been destroyed. All forces are now ordered to secure Hammerfest base. Destroy all Nod forces." _

John exchanged a glance with Xhaferi. That meant the Rangers had managed to take out the Firestorm barricades and destroyed their ICBM. That would leave one left: the one inside the Nod base built around the Hammerfest refineries.

"Sergeant Xhaferi!"

The entire squad glanced up as Captain Mitch approached them.

"Captain, what's up?" Xhaferi asked with suspicion.

"Tennant is down for the count. Took a bullet to the leg and severed an artery. I need you to lead 1st Platoon."

"Of course, Captain. But what about Sergeant Iqbal? He's the platoon sergeant."

"He's still out with that bullet wound to the ass. And the platoon sergeant is about as useful and intelligent as a Viceroid. So that leaves you."

"Understood, Captain."

"Good. Corporal Lancaster."

"Uh, yes Captain?"

"I need you to take charge of Ramirez's squad."

"You want me to lead a squad?"

"Is that a problem?"

"No Captain!"

"Good. Let's move out people!"

Xhaferi gave John a reassuring pat on the shoulder, as he moved over to Tennant's command squad. Prevost gave John a dirty look, before moving off with the gunners. John shook his head; he didn't have time to feel shocked over the sudden responsibility.

"Hey, John?"

John looked over at Zemerik, a cocksure grin on his face.

"What's up?"

"You got this."

Zemerik jogged to catch up with Prevost and the others. John just smiled at the replacements word of encouragement, and set off behind him.

… … …

It was impossible to tell what damage had been caused from the Brotherhood attack, or GDI's attempt to liberate the base. But Hammerfest was in absolute ruin, and John doubted it could ever be repaired. Few buildings remained standing, and now the wrecks of tanks and aircraft became the only defining landmarks.

"_Alpha __Company, stand__by. We may have new orders for you."_

The Company came to a halt by a burnt Aegis tank. They all fanned out into defensive positions, wary of a Nod ambush.

"_Okay, we need you to meet up with a engineer squad. Objective is to get one of the __base's__ Vulcan cannons back up and running. Rendezvous with the engineers in an enlisted cafeteria, klick and a half to your west."_

"_Hunter Actual copies all. Alpha is oscar mike." _

The Company turned back and cautiously moved down the next street. They had to move around a large crater created by a Subterranean APC, clearly from the initial Nod attack judging by blackened metal. Thankfully, it seemed as though Nod had abandoned this section of the base, meaning the Company had no difficulty reaching the cafeteria, which was now nothing more than three crumbling walls.

The engineers sat in the middle of the ruins, but quickly jogged over when Captain Mitch waved to them. However, what caught John's attention was the Aegis tank idling nearby.

"Fuck yeah! We get that thing to help?" Zemerik asked like an excited child.

"'Bout time we got some proper support." Prevost said approvingly.

"Come on squad, we got some engineers to babysit." John ordered.

"Sure thing. _Sarge._" Prevost replied sarcastically.

John just shook his head as he followed behind the engineers and the rest of the Company. The Aegis tank rolled up behind them, and John felt just a little bit safer. But that feeling was tempered by the fighting raging on around them, and it was growing in intensity. The Hover MLRS were now bombarding sections of the base, while infantry and tanks still fought their way through Nod forces.

If there was a Hell, John couldn't imagine it was much different than this.

The Company was nearing the far walls of the base, which led to a large field that separated Hammerfest from the Tiberium refineries. Near a large breach in the wall, was the Vulcan turret they were tasked with repairing. But first, they had to walk around a crashed Banshee.

Walking up to the wreckage, John was able to get a better look at the Nod craft, and it was nothing like any plane he had seen before. It was almost…alien looking.

"4th Squad. Check to see if the pilot survived." Xhaferi commanded.

Two riflemen worked their way up the broken aircraft, climbing for the cockpit. One of the soldiers moved forward while the rest stayed back. He looked into the cockpit, before trying to jump away.

"GRENA-"

The cockpit exploded as the pilot detonated a grenade, killing himself. Fortunately the soldiers managed to jump away in time, as shrapnel rained across the street.

"Fucking fanatics" Zemerik hissed.

John nodded in agreement, as Captain Mitch ordered the company to resume moving.

There was no further excitement as Alpha Company took up position around the Vulcan turret. The engineers immediately set to work repairing the turret, as the GDI soldiers began to dig in. John ordered the machine gun crew to set up along a shallow trench, while Zemerik and Prevost stood watch. The sounds of fighting continued all around them, but John could tell that the battle was slowly moving _out _of the base, indicating GDI was winning.

For now.

"_What's the situation, Staff Sergeant?" _Mitch asked the lead engineer.

"_The entire base network is corrupted. We have to isolate the turret and manually sync it to the Kodiak's systems."_

"_Time frame?"_

"_Ten to fifteen minutes."_

"_Copy that. __Okay__Alpha, our orders are to dig in and hold here. Nod has launched a counter attack and will be here soon."_

John hopped down into the trench with his squad and readied his rifle. They were as ready as they were going to be. He peered through his scope, trying to spot the enemy reinforcements.

"See anything, John?" Zemerik asked timidly.

"Nothing yet."

"Shit! John, look!"

John followed to where Prevost was pointing, and felt his heart sink. It was hard to tell from this distance, but John guessed it was a full battalion bearing down on them.

"_Captain, are you seeing this!" _Someone shouted.

"_Keep calm men! Command, this is Hunter Actual. We have a battalion sized unit coming in from the Nod base."_

"_We __see__ them Hunter Actual. Support is moving up now, just hold them off."_

"Squad, get ready!" John warned.

The Nod force came closer, and John could make out Scorpions and light vehicles at the head of Reckoners. More GDI forces had taken position along the wall, but most of the Division was still engaged inside the base.

"_Enemy is in range. Targets locked and ready to fire." _The artillery commander reported.

"_Affirmative. Fire at will!"_

"_Firing for-" _

A series of explosions sounded off behind John. Artillery shells whistled through the air before landing deep behind the front lines. Somehow Nod artillery had targeted the M300s, preventing GDI from using it's own artillery support. The shells continued to rain down, just as the Nod vanguard came into firing range. All along the line, Aegis' and Titans opened fire, creating a deafening boom of cannons. The Aegis behind Alpha fired a shell that flew down range, before exploding against a Scorpion. The Nod tanks returned with their own salvo of shells and rockets.

"_Everyone! Open fire!"_

Hundreds of rifles, machine guns, rocket and grenade launchers all began to fire. Nod Reckoners drove through the tank battle and deployed their charges, and Nod soldiers and cyborgs rushed forward. John's machine gun crew raked their weapon back and forth, as John and the others fired prolonged bursts. The Aegis behind them continued to fire its cannon, but now the machine gun atop the turret also added its fire.

"Jesus! There's too many of them!" Zemerik shouted.

"Keep shooting till your gun runs dry!" Prevost advised.

"Reloading!" The gunner warned.

"Cover them, focus down that Black Hand squad!" John directed.

The GDI forces were throwing up a literal wall of bullets and shells, yet it seemed to do noting to Nod forces. Even more APCs and tanks arrived, driving through the wreckage of their comrades. The number of Aegis tanks and Titan walkers began to dwindle, and John wasn't sure how much longer they could hold on for.

Without warning, the Vulcan turret opened fire, scything through the Nod soldiers, human and machine alike.

"Yeah! Fuck you Noddies!" Zemerik cheered.

A salvo of rockets streaked across the battlefield, impacting all along the GDI line. Nod Stealth tanks materialized, further bolstering the Nod forces.

"Back up!"

"Keep firing! Don't stop!"

"Fuck! There's no end to them!"

John fired another burst, killing a Nod rocket trooper. He shifted his aim to another soldier armed with an LMG, when the world went black.

"Shit! John! John, stay with me!" Prevost cried.

Even though he was right beside John, Prevost sounded like he was miles away. John was vaguely aware he was suddenly on his back. Soldiers were still fighting and dying around him, but Prevost and Zemerik were standing above him.

"Zee! Go get a medic. Now!"

Zemerik bolted off, leaving Prevost with John. John tried to stand up, but he then realized Prevost was holding him down. No, he was keeping pressure on a wound on John's chest.

"Hang on buddy, I got you."

"What…"

John's question died in his throat as he found it too hard to talk. More screaming could be heard, as the battle raged on. Suddenly a shadow fell over the battlefield, and John struggled to make sense of what he was looking at. It took his mind too long to recognize the blocky shapes of Orca Bombers. The large twin tailed bombers flew high above the battlefield, flying over the Nod forces which had gotten dangerously close to the GDI line. The earth shook violently as the bombers began to carpet bomb the whole area. Tanks and soldiers were consumed indifferently, and the entire Nod counter attack halted as the field was blasted apart.

More bombers flew past, shaking the ground until it felt like it would open up and swallow them all whole. John barely remembered when Zemerik returned with a medic, or when he stopped being able to hear Prevost cry out for him. All he knew was that one moment he was staring out at the tortured battlefield, and the next, was filled with darkness.

… … …

McNeil was losing. It was an inescapable truth, as he watched the battle unfold. The flight of Orca Bombers finished dropping their payload, and were now circling back to the GDI airbase in Finland. But even with the massive amounts of destruction caused by the bombing run, more Nod forces raced to fill the gap.

McNeil was losing.

"We have no other options, Mack. You have to use the Ion Cannon."

McNeil turned to face Mark. The man looked grim. No doubt he was concerned for his son, who was out there somewhere in that hell. But McNeil shook his head: he couldn't use the superweapon. He still held on to hope that his brother was alive, and somewhere in that Nod base.

"No. We can still win this. Chandra! Where is Zulu Company?"

"They were ambushed by a Nod Shadow Team. They are unable to reach the front."

"What about those Rangers?"

"We lost contact with them twenty minutes ago, sir." Chandra reported solemnly.

"Mack, you have to-"

"No! We can do this. If we pull our forces off the airfield, we can reinforce the front line. Or help support our units inside the base…"

"Commander! Incoming transmission. The frequency matches that of Hammerfest Command."

"Put it through."

The entire bridge shifted their attention to the main view screen. It was filled with static for a moment, before a figure appeared. McNeil's breath caught in his throat, as he was staring directly at his brother.

"_Hey, Mack." _Jake greeted.

"Jake! You're alive!"

Jake gave a sad smile, just as Oxana Kristos stepped into view behind him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"_Mack, I need you to listen to me. I need you to surrender."_

McNeil reeled back like he had just been punched.

"Surrender? What…what the fuck are you talking about?"

"_Listen, we can stop all this killing. We can end the war! The Brotherhood had promised me that they want peace. We can work with them, we can stop the war."_ Jake's voice was pleading, and he looked as though he had aged ten years.

"Jake, those Nod bastards have done something to you. I'll rescue you! Just hang on!"

"_No, Mack. I've seen what Kane has planned, we can't stop him. But if we work with him, we can finally have peace."_

"Peace!? After everything they've done? After what they did to mom and dad!?"

"_I know! And I will never forgive them for that. But the killing can stop. You haven't seen what I have. You don't know what Kane has planned."_

"To hell with Kane! I'll come get you."

"_I was hoping you would see reason. But…saving GDI is more important…more important than saving you."_

"Jake…"

"_I'm sorry Michael." _

The transmission cut off, and McNeil stared at the blank screen. His whole world was turned upside down. He didn't know what to think anymore: Jake was alive, but he was with Nod? His forces were being decimated, but to save them, he would have to kill his brother.

"Mack. He's gone, I'm sorry. But we have to act now. Your forces are being overwhelmed. You need to use the Ion Cannon." Mark stated firmly.

"No. If we can get to him, I can bring him back."

"Are you really going to sacrifice your men for one man?"

"I don't care how many die! I'm going to save him!"

"He's gone McNeil! He can't be saved!"

"Fuck you, you old bastard! Chandra! Order all our forces to attack! Tell them to get into that base!"

"McNeil! You can't: do you have any idea how many men will die!?"

"I…I can save him"

"Sirs, we're losing time here." Brink cut in.

McNeil hung his head. Men and women were screaming over the radio: dying, calling for reinforcements, or praying for the fighting to stop. He knew he could end it right now. He looked at Mark, the steel in his eyes, and the fear. He looked to Chandra and Brink, both looking back at him for guidance.

_Saving GDI is more important than saving you_.

Jake's words resonated inside his head, and he knew what to do.

"Chandra…initiate protocol November Seven. Fire the Ion Cannon."

"Understood."

"Thank you, Mack." Mark sighed.

"Get the fuck off my bridge."

Mark nodded his head and slowly left the bridge, leaving heavily on his cane. McNeil turned back to the table, and stared at the Nod base; where Jake was. Chandra reported on the status of the Ion Cannon, but he stopped paying attention.

The _Philadelphia _was safe now. He had won the battle for Hammerfest. But he still felt like he had lost.

… … …

The Montauk moved as fast as it could churned up the earth, tunneling it's way behind enemy lines. Anton Slavik smiled like a feral wolf as he anticipated killing McNeil. While his forces fought above, he would lead a strike team to sneak behind the enemy, and destroy his nemesis.

"Priority communication from Lieutenant Kristos." CABAL interrupted.

Slavik looked at the screen, confused. Why was Oxana calling him? He answered the call, and felt a strange feeling of dread. Oxana was smiling, but tears marred her face. Jake McNeil was behind her, his head held in his hands.

"Oxana-"

"_They've activated the Ion Cannon."_

Slavik felt the breath leave his lungs, he suddenly grew weak and he began to sweat. McNeil was willing to kill his own brother? He was going to kill Oxana!

"CABAL, turn the Montauk around! We must save them!" Slavik shouted.

"_Its too late, Anton. I…it has been a pleasure."_

"Oxana!"

The screen became awash with static, and the ground shook as if God was trying to crush it in His hands. The Montauk came to a halt as the tunnel collapsed around it.

Anton Slavik fell to his knees, and for the first time since he was a child, he openly wept.

… … …

_Maybe he survived. Maybe he's trapped under the rubble._

It was a foolish thought, and McNeil knew it. There was no chance Jake had survive, as there was nothing left but a blackened crater, which was already filled with icy water. Hammerheads circled above the crater, searching for anything or anyone that may have survived. But he knew the answer.

Mark stood behind him, his face stoic, but McNeil could see the relief hidden underneath. McNeil had heard that his son, John, had been injured but was now safe aboard the Kodiak's infirmary. John Lancaster wasn't the only one: hundreds of soldiers now filled the infirmary and various field hospitals. The battle had nearly wiped out the 22nd Airborne, even with all the new replacements they had received. However, they had successfully destroyed the entire Nod 1st Army. The destruction of such a huge Nod force would drastically change the course of the war.

"General Solomon should be contacting us soon. Come along, son." Mark said respectfully.

McNeil sighed and followed the old man to the communications terminal. The two waited as a connection was established with the _Philadelphia_. After a few moments, Solomon's haggard form appeared.

"_Fantastic work Mack. You did a hell of a job. I know you've taken quite a beating, so you and your men are officially being moved to the rear. A few weeks in London to recoup should be good for you."_

"Thank you, sir. I'm sure the men will be pleased."

"_Glad to hear it. Nod is still trying to push into Europe, and the fighting has picked back up State side. But I'm sure-"_

The communication abruptly cut out, and Mark was already taking command before McNeil could even register what just happened.

"Lieutenant Brink, what's going on?"

"I don't know sir! We seem to be having our comms interrupted by-"

"Kane."

The entire bridge turned to face McNeil, as if he had uttered a word so horribly heinous, and in some ways, he had. But even more shocking, was the man now in place of Solomon on the screen.

"_Greetings, McNeil. Ah, and I see my old friend Mark Lancaster is with you too. It would seem__your aim was a bit off, Commander."_

"I killed you once, I can do it again." Mark seethed.

"_It doesn't seem like you can do much since your poor wife died, judging by how your sons have disowned you."_

Kane gave a vindictive smile as Mark stumbled back. The old man was about to shout, but McNeil cut him off.

"What do you want?"

"_I just wanted to thank you. Hammerfest is destroyed, and your precious GDI has been stretched thin. __Soon, I will end t__his war, and you shall be left in the dust. Oh, and I'm sorry about your brother. I heard he died a rather agonizing death."_

Kane ended the transmission, and the bridge was left in shock. Mark trembled with rage, and McNeil could feel his own blood boil. That bastard once again hacked into GDI's comms, just to gloat.

"I want to kill him. I know the men are tired, and need rest. But we have to stop him."

McNeil turned to Mark, expecting the man to protest. Instead he saw a look of rage that terrified him, even more than Kane's predatory grin.

"This time, I'll strangle him myself. To make sure he is truly dead."

"Commander, we have comms back with the _Philadelphia._" Chandra reported.

McNeil turned back to the screen. He steeled himself to tell Solomon of his plan, but stopped at the sight of the General's ashen face.

"_Mack…Europe is gone." _


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

"_I have never advocated war except as a means of peace."  
\- Ulysses S. Grant_

**Fort Weisswolf, Germany**

**October 26****th****, 2030**

**0500**

Sergio Andreas yawned as he walked through the courtyard of Fort Weisswolf. His breath frosted in the air and the snow crunched under his boots. It was a pleasant morning, despite another world war going on. He made his way to the control room of the Fort, and settled in at his desk. His EVA gave him a list of messages and tasks for the day, but he ignored it in favour of the AAR from Colonel Dunston .

Sergio smiled at the mention of Hammerfest's recapture, despite there not being much of the base left. The Rangers performed admirably, especially when their comms had been severed and they had been surrounded by Black Hand. All in all, McNeil did a decent job, but Sergio knew the 7th could have done better.

"Guten tag, Commander." Sergio's assistant, Major Klein, greeted.

"Morning, Major."

"I have a report from Admiral Sloane: her forces were forced to fall back to the base in Croatia. Seems the front is faltering."

"I assume she requested our aide."

"Officially, General Solomon did, so she could save face. But, yes."

"Ha! That woman needs to keep her pride. As soon as Dunston and the Rangers get back, we'll ship out."

"I'll inform the Admiral."

Klein walked off, and Sergio watched her leave. She was a woman destined to rule GDI one day, if she so desired.

Sergio finally went through his daily tasks, losing himself in thought for nearly an hour, before his EVA gave a startled beep. He knew to fear that tone, and just as the entire room burst into commotion, he read the message.

_Berlin struck by missile attack._

_Paris struck by missile attack._

_Brussels struck by missile attack. _

_Moscow struck by missile attack._

_Warsaw struck by missile attack._

The list kept going on, city after city, all apparently destroyed by a Nod missile. The entire control room was in a panic as the officers tried to make sense of the information coming through. Sergio's mind was racing: how the hell did Nod launch a missile strike without GDI noticing!?

Standard protocol dictated that he remain in the control room, as it was rated to be able to resist everything short of a direct nuclear missile strike. But Sergio needed to see with his own eyes, so he left the control room, hastily making his way back outside.

The entire Fort was swarming with activity now, as the 7th Infantry Division raced to get ready for combat. These men knew their duty, and did it well. But many, including Sergio, had stopped to stare at the glowing, green mushroom cloud that expanded on the horizon.

_Oh God. It wasn't nuclear. It was a Tiberium attack! _

The fallout from such an attack would be far more deadly. Central Europe had been relatively untouched by Tiberium, or at least its spread had been small. But now it would consume the whole continent, not to mention the millions of lives that had just been snuffed out.

Sergio Andreas' last moments were spent staring in fear, as the world seemed to fall apart around him. The Tiberium missile struck just outside of Fort Weisswolf, obliterating the entire base, and the entirety of the 7th Infantry Division: the once famous unit that had "killed" Kane. They were all wiped away, leaving nothing left but a crater and the cancerous, alien Tiberium.

… … …

**Hammerfest, Norway**

**October 30****th****, 2030**

**1100**

It took four days for the 22nd to recover from the hell that was the Battle of Hammerfest. It also took four days for the fallout from the attacks on Europe to be fully realized. Every major city, from Moscow and Warsaw, to Paris and Madrid, was destroyed. The death toll was cataclysmic, and reports were still flooding in of the countless bases destroyed in the attacks as well. But the destruction didn't stop there. Tiberium was already ravaging cities and towns that were nowhere near the epicenter of the strikes. The green crystal was spreading much more rapidly, consuming everything in its path.

And with so much chaos, the GDI front lines had collapsed, allowing Nod to storm into Central Europe. It would only serve to prolong the war even further.

The amount of death was staggering, and it only worsened McNeil's growing depression. His Division was reduced to half strength, the replacements were almost wiped out, and he was still suffering nightmares from his brother's death at his own hands.

Mark Lancaster was nearby, watching a satellite feed of what had once been Fort Weisswolf. The man looked devastated at the loss of the 7th. It was a dark day for all of GDI.

"A thousand deaths would not be enough for him." Mark said to himself, hardly above a whisper.

McNeil didn't need to ask who he meant. Just about every GDI citizen on the planet would want a crack at killing Kane for this.

"Any word from General Solomon?" McNeil asked.

Chandra shook his head, and McNeil cursed. They had been trying to reach the General for hours, but the _Philadelphia _was flooded with comms traffic. Effectively, the 22nd was stuck with nothing to do.

"We know where the missiles were launched from. We should attack now." Mark stated

"We don't have the resources." McNeil replied quickly.

He had been thinking the same thing, but he wasn't sure his men could handle another large scale battle. He didn't know if _he _could either.

"Sir! Incoming transmission. It's the General!"

Both McNeil and Mark rushed over to the comms screen, and within moments, Solomon appeared. He looked like he hadn't slept in days, and he had the same ashen look when he first revealed what had happened.

"_Gentlemen, apologies for the delay. As you can imagine, its chaos up here."_ Solomon greeted.

"Its chaos down here, James." Mark said.

"_Our forces are stretched to the breaking __point__. Nod has used this as an opportunity to throw everything they have at us. Europe is falling, Nod is regaining ground in North America, and Nod has opened a new front in Asia. Simply put: we have no one to spare to take out that missile facility."_

"We are ready, sir." McNeil stated.

"_I know. I hate to do this to you Mack, but you are all we have left. Destroy that facility, burn it to the ground, and stop this from happening again."_

"We'll get it done."

"_I have a single unit that survived the attack on Germany. The 41__st__ Enforcer Brigade will help you take out that facility. EVA will give you all the details. And Mack…good luck."_

The transmission ended, and McNeil could feel the weight of the situation. Half strength, beaten and bloodied, with only a single brigade to back them up. And once again having the fate of the world thrusted upon their shoulders.

"Did you ever feel like this, Mark? Like you had the whole world depending on you?" McNeil asked somberly.

"Yes. And it is not an easy feeling to deal with. But we shall shoulder it together."

Mark smiled paternally as he clasped McNeil's shoulder. McNeil smiled back, but inwardly, he had to wonder if this was Commander Lancaster speaking, or Mark Lancaster. For McNeil had seen the bridgesecurityrecording of Mark's conversation with his son, and he had seen the man's true self.

"Brink! Set a course for Hungary."

"Aye, aye sir!"

"We shall avenge the fallen." Mark proclaimed stoically.

McNeil nodded as he took a final, longing look, at the ruins of Hammerfest.

_Goodbye Jake, I hope you can forgive me__._

The Kodiak roared to life, as the 22nd Airborne readied to jump back into hell.

… … …

**Hungary, Europe**

**December 1****st****, 2030**

**0900**

The wind howled through the open bay of the Hammerhead. John watched the ground race by beneath him, passing over a tortured and barren landscape. If he looked up, he would see four other Hammerheads, identical to the three flying on the other side. The small insertion force was tasked with clearing a landing, so GDI could drop in, and destroy the Nod facility responsible for this genocide.

John was still in shock after hearing the news. He had awoken from the battle, only to find himself in the Kodiak's infirmary. Xhaferi had stopped by to congratulate him, and to deliver the world shattering news.

"_T-minus one mike!"_

The pilot's warning caused John to look over at his squad. Lieutenant Tennant had made a full recovery, and thus resumed command of the platoon. John was happy to have Xhaferi back as squad lead, but he couldn't deny that he had enjoyed the responsibility of command, however brief it was.

Prevost was mumbling prayers to himself, and John felt a pang of hurt. His friend had grown distant since West's death, and now seemed hostile to almost everyone. Finally, Zemerik was on the other side of the troop bay, similarly watching the ground whip past.

"_Approaching the LZ! Get ready! The LZ is hot!"_

John instantly snapped up and readied his rifle. Sure enough, he could see Nod forces trying to overwhelm a line of Titans and GDI infantry. The Hammerheads fired a salvo of missiles, which created a wall of flames and smoke. John and the others watched as the Vulcan cannons opened up, cutting down the Nod infantry which stumbled through the black smoke clouds.

"_The 41__st__ is already engaged! Give them cover while we try to land!" _

More Nod forces emerged from the dissipating clouds, only to receive a hail of lead tearing through them. Nod rocket troopers tried to shoot down the Hammerheads, choking the air with rockets and flares launched from the helicopters.

The Hammerheads banked hard to avoid the rockets, which caused John and the others to hang on for dear life. The soldiers of the Enforcer Brigade attempted to take out the rocket troopers, but were being suppressed by Tick tanks.

"_Condor-6, recommend you bugger off. LZ is becoming too hot, over?"_

"_Negative! Condor-6 to all Hunter units. Drop now! Repeat, drop now! LZ is getting too hot!"_

"_Hunter Actual copies!" _

John gripped the drop rope tightly, and tried to fight down the fear rising in his throat. The Hammerheads hovered just behind the line of Titans, still firing rockets and high calibre rounds as ropes fell away from the troop bays. Johnleapt from the helicopter and slid down the rope. He braced himself as he hit the ground, then moved away just as Prevost came down. Finally Zemerik and Xhaferi landed, and the Hammerhead flew off, as more rockets streaked into the air.

John was almost instantly deafened as the Titans fired another salvo, destroying several Nod Ticks. The enemy tanks fired back, with their shells blowing past the walkers, and exploding far behind. The men of Alpha Company jogged to the front, joining with the men of the 41st. John and his squad came under fire from Nod soldiers, just as they took cover behind a ruined AAPC. John and Prevost stepped out from cover, and crouched behind the ramp. Together they killed three Nod soldiers attempting to flank them.

The two men kept firing, returning to cover only to reload. Each burst caused the death of an enemy combatant, but they seemed to keep coming. John spotted another squad of Nod soldiers moving to engage them, however he noticed this one was covering for two rocket troopers. John sighted one of the troopers and fired, blowing apart the man's chest armour and sending him crashing down. The second dove for cover, as Prevost sprayed the space he had just occupied with bullets. The other Nod soldiers returned fire, forcing the two into cover.

Zemerik and Xhaferi fired from the far aide of the AAPC, thinning the number of soldiers guarding the rocket trooper. John went prone on the ground, and aimed in-between the large wheels. He sighted the second rocket trooper, who was now setting up his shot. John fired a single burst that hit the trooper in the leg, causing him to stumble. The trooper reflexively fired his rocket, which streaked harmlessly into the air. A crack from Xhaferi's DMR finished off the trooper.

John got up on his knees, and noticed Prevost holding out his hand to help him up. He gave his friend a smile, and the two moved back out to continue fighting. As John found more targets, he also noted the Nod armour had been reduced to burning scrap. The Titans began stomping forward, firing their large cannons at entrenched infantry. The Nod forces halted their advance, and began a fighting retreat.

John and the others decided to focus on a Nod squad pinned down by a destroyed Rocket Buggy. A group of soldiers from the 41st slowly moved up, attempting to force the enemy to surrender. An Attack Buggy suddenly appeared, seemingly coming from nowhere, and began hosing them down. The Buggy then swerved into the line of fire from John's squad, allowing the Nod soldiers to escape. The Buggy pelted the AAPC, and John barely made it into cover.

"Zee, fire a grenade at that Buggy!" Xhaferi roared.

John and Prevost peeked out from cover, firing their rifles, hoping to keep the Buggy distracted. Zemerik stepped out and aimed his rifle's underslung grenade launcher. He fired a single grenade, which exploded directly against the driver's cabin, and blowing the Buggy apart.

"Nice shot, Zee." John said.

The fighting slowly died down, as gunfire grew more distant and sporadic. The Titans lumbered forward, stepping over the ruins of their victims. Xhaferi led the squad back to the LZ, where they spotted Captain Mitch speaking with another Captain, with the Enforcers insignia. The squad briskly walked over to Lieutenant Tennant, who stood just behind the Captain.

"You boys have good timing. The Brotherhood must have known we were coming, because they were on us before we even knew it." The Enforcer Captain said in heavily accented English.

"It's the Airborne's job to kick Nod ass." Mitch replied.

"So we keep hearing. Though you may change your tune once our special equipment arrives."

"The 41st been holding out on us?"

"More that we are lucky it survived the attacks."

The Enforcer Captain's face slowly contorted with anger, and Captain Mitch quickly changed the subject.

"Do we know how the Brotherhood was able to get this close without us noticing?"

"InOps had bad intel. They flagged the facility as a civilian colony. Nod was apparently providing medical aid to both GDI and Nod civilians, but it was obviously just a cover. Some Forgotten mercenaries confirmed the presence of the launch site, and the missile production facilities. They also located a prototype factory where Nod is producing those new Banshee fighters."

"Looks like we may be able to kill two birds with one stone. Taking out that prototype factory could stop Nod's production capabilities."

"We should focus on the bigger threat."

"We'll see what the Commander says. In the meantime, we best dig in. No doubt Nod will be back."

With that, the GDI soldiers broke off to begin fortifying the landing zone. John and his platoon took up positions amongst the ruined Tick tanks, to allow them to cover the Titans, which now stood as impromptu turrets. At some point, Prevost and Xhaferi had moved off, leaving John with Zemerik. They stood in silence at first, but Zemerik decided to ask a rather strange question.

"Hey, John. Do you… do you think we can win?"

John let his rifle hang by its sling, and he turned to give the young soldier a quizzical look. Zemerik's usually eager demeanor was now replaced by one of melancholy.

"Of course we will. Nod may have the upper hand right now, but I have no doubt we can beat them."

"No, I meant against Tiberium. Do you think we can ever get rid of it?"

"Why are you asking?"

"When I joined up, all I thought about was fighting Nod. It wasn't until now that I realized that we may be focussing on the wrong war."

John thought to himself for a moment. He knew Zemerik was right, that Tiberium was the greater threat. But how did one stop an unstoppable and unknowable force?

"So long as Nod keeps trying to spread Tiberium, we can never be rid of it. But one day we will bring Kane to justice, and we can focus on stopping it. Someday, we will be free from Tiberium. I promise you."

Zemerik smiled, and seemed content with John's answer. John could only wish he felt the same reassurance. He glanced up when he noticed Xhaferi and Prevost returning, both carrying ammo cases. The four men began restocking, when Orca Transports descended to the LZ. More companies from the 22nd marched out, followed by Wolverines. It wasn't too long after the transports offloaded their charges, that the rest of the 41st Brigade's armour arrived. More Titans and Aegis tanks took position by the front, but it was the three large tanks in the rear that caught everyone's attention.

They were roughly the size of a Mammoth tank, and moved on four separate treads. But instead of a cannon or any other traditional weapon, they were armed with what looked like a large radar dish. John had read about these experimental tanks, which were first designed as a means of combating Tiberium growth, before the Army found military applications for them. It seemed the GDI Disruptor tank was just as effective at breaking down buildings and vehicles, as it was Tiberium.

It would seem the Commander wasn't kidding when he said they would leave nothing left of the Nod base.

"Platoon! Listen up, orders have just come down. Our objectives have been altered. Intel has confirmed that the missile facility is heavily guarded, defended by Obelisks and a full contingent of Nod Spetznaz. However, it would seem that there is access to the facility, via a road that links to the Banshee prototype factory to the west. We are going to roll up there, destroy that factory, and wipe out that facility. This last order comes from Captain Mitch: destroy everything with extreme prejudice. We are oscar mike!" Tennant barked out.

The joint forces of the 22nd and the 41st began to move out, with the armour leading ahead of the infantry. The Disruptors trailed at the end of the force, guarded by several M301 Hover SPAAGs. They left the LZ behind, and moved towards a cluster of jagged hills, where the Brotherhood was building their Banshee fighters. John remembered the oddly shaped planes firing their green plasma, and it caused him to shiver in sudden fear.

The convoy moved slowly, cautious of Nod ambush. They all became wary of every bush and crag, convinced Nod soldiers would leap out. However, they were left untouched as they came to the base of the hills. Roughly constructed roads led up, but otherwise, there was no sign of the enemy. They all began moving up the road, further slowing their progress as they ascended the steep incline.

They had just reached the midway point, when the Brotherhood attacked. Things seemed to happen in slow motion, as John watched the lead scouts disappear in a bright flash. The Wolverine that had accompanied the scouts was also obliterated by hidden mines. The GDI force immediately diverted to defensive postures, just as two Flame tanks emerged from underground. Several squads of men from the Enforcers were consumed in flames before they could escape, dying before they even had time to scream. One of the Titans reacted with lightning speed, and fired a shell into the Flame tank. The resulting explosions blasted the lead soldiers with heat, and it caused John's suit to start screaming at him in alarm.

The second Flame tank doused an Aegis tanks in flames. However, the attack proved fruitless, and the Aegis fired back, destroying the second Flame tank. The GDI force halted their progress, now unable to move forward out of fear of mines and subterranean attacks. A squad of engineers moved to the front in order to sweep for more mines.

"Fucking Noddies!" Zemerik seethed.

"Keep your eyes open." Xhaferi ordered softly.

They continued slowly behind the engineers, stopping occasionally to detonatemines. There were no further attacks from underground, but that didn't mean Nod didn't have something waiting for them. Their progress was little more than a crawl, but eventually the mine field seem to end, and the GDI forces came into view of the Nod factory. It was situated in an artificial plateau, guarded by high rock walls. The factory wasn't the only structure crammed into the space: a science lab, a powerplant, and a large dome like structure that John identified as a Stealth generator, all occupied the area. There were no defences, as Nod seemingly relied on stealth to keep the factory hidden. The factory itself was actually a large, blocky tower, with four landing pads at the top. Due to Nod's preference for subterranean designs, it stood to reason that the main production facilities were underground.

John's observation of the complex was cut short, as Nod forces emerged to combat them. The enemy defenders were mostly comprised of infantry and light vehicles, but a few Ticks emerged and began deploying into their turret forms. The GDI soldiers rushed to find cover, while the Wolverines engaged with the Bikes and Buggies. Most of the convoy was still struggling up the steep road, but a few vanguard Aegis tanks moved to combat the Nod Ticks.

John and his squad found cover by a rock outcropping. It wasn't much, but it was the best they could find, as most of the GDI infantry were caught in the open. The plateau began to reverberate from the booming of tank cannons, as the Aegis' and Ticks began their deadly exchange. The Wolverines made short work of the Attack Buggies, but the Bikes proved more difficult.

John and the others tried to focus down the fast moving Bikes, while the GDI infantry tried to fight their way into better cover. John watched numerous men from the Enforcers be cut down, but he had to focus on the task at hand. He fired several bursts that all missed their target, as the Bikes swerved around the complex. A few were taken out by the Wolverines, but the walkers were suffering more losses more quickly.

Zemerik launched a grenade, but that too missed. It did, however, cause the driver to panic and swerve the wrong way, bringing him within sight of Xhaferi and his DMR. Three shots cracked the canopy and killed the driver. John and Prevost then focused their fire on another Bike. Their shots missed the driver, but they were able to blow out one of the armoured wheels, sending the Bike crashing, before its storage of rockets exploded, and destroyed the Bike.

John reflexively ducked as one of the Aegis tanks exploded. The Nod Ticks had taken several hits, but were still standing. The remaining Aegis' moved out of the way, allowing the Titans to stomp forward. One Titan fired on the Ticks, but its shell went wide and ended up punching through the lab building.

"_Hold them off! We need to get the Disruptors to the front!" _Captain Mitch barked.

More GDI armour moved onto the plateau, in an attempt to give room for the Disruptors. This however left them vulnerable to the Ticks, and one of the Titans collapsed as a shell cored it. More light vehicles emerged from underground motor pools, and the Wolverines struggled to compensate. John and Prevost fired another spray of bullets, but failed to destroy the Bike that raced past.

"Fuck! Noddies at the rear!" Zemerik suddenly shrieked.

John whirled around just in time to see a full platoon of Spetznaz emerging from a hidden bunker entrance. The squad turned to fire, but the Nod special forces were faster. Xhaferi went down in a spray of blood, just as Prevost and Zemerik darted around to the other side of the outcropping. John dropped his rifle and dragged Xhaferi with him, as bullets impacted around them. Prevost and Zemerik returned to cover them, but their wild sprays did little more than provide minimal cover.

John finished dragging Xhaferi to the other side, as more bullets chewed through the rock. The Sergeant had been hit in several places. The armour had absorbed most of the bullets, but not all of them, and John had no way of knowing how bad the damage was, at least, not without taking Xhaferi's armour off.

"Zee, Prevost, keep us covered! This is Hunter 2-7, enemy Spetznaz have engaged from behind, repeat, enemy Spetznaz have engaged from behind! I need a medic!"

"_I hear you 2-7! Hold your position!" _Lieutenant Tennant urged.

John cursed as he cleaned away the blood as best he could, trying to see where the most damage was. He found a bullet hole in Xhaferi's chest that kept pouring blood, so he began applying pressure to try and slow the bleeding.

"Keep holding them off! The LT is sending a medic!" John shouted.

"They need to send us a damned Wolverine!" Prevost snarled.

"There's too many of them!" Zemerik yelped.

"Zee, do you have any grenades for your underslung?"

"Uh, yeah?"

"Use it!"

Zemerik nodded as he loaded a grenade. Prevost stepped out to fire on full auto, while Zemerik fired the grenade, which exploded in the midst of a Spetznaz squad, sending bodies rag-dolling through the air. Both men stepped back into cover, just as a medic slid in beside them.

"What's his condition!?" The medic shouted over the roar of gunfire.

"I don't know! But this seems to be the worst of his injuries."

John watched as the medic assessed the wound, before she motioned for him to keep pressure.

"Its hard to treat him with those assholes shooting at us!"

"How's it looking, Achille?"

"Fubar!"

John risked looking up to see the Spetznaz soldiers were nearly on top of them. They were only being kept at bay by two other GDI riflemen squads that were keeping them suppressed, but John knew it wouldn't be long before the Nod elites broke through; they needed a way to get out.

"Hunter 2-1, this is 2-7. We need a medivac, enemy is putting up way too much fire!"

"_I understand 2-7. But we are still engaged with other forces, and the Disruptors have yet to reach the top. I'll send you what I can, over." _

"I'm running low on ammo!" Prevost warned.

"We can't stay here John!" Zemerik stated with growing panic.

"Stay calm guys! Doc, how's he looking?"

"I can't get him stabilized here! We have to move him!"

"Zee! Switch with me."

"Right!"

John quickly changed places with Zemerik, stopping only long enough to give him instructions on where to keep pressure, as the medic worked to stop the bleeding. John then grabbed Xhaferi's sidearm, before leaning in close to Prevost.

"You see that crag in the ground? We're going to run to it, see if we can't draw their fire."

"If I die, I'll fucking kill you!" Prevost remarked with a grin.

"Sounds good. Go!"

The two bolted from cover, and ran as fast as they could. Bullets immediately began biting at their heels, and a few rounds whizzed past John's faceplate. His plan seemed to be working, as the Spetznaz focused on trying to kill them, he just hoped that would give the medic the respite she needed to stabilize Xhaferi.

John and Prevost jumped into the crag, and narrowly avoided getting hit by a burst of bullets. The two turned to fire back, but it had little effect, especially with John only having his pistol. As he ducked down to reload, he stole a glance at the ongoing battle: two more Aegis' and a single Titan had been destroyed, but the Nod armour had been reduced to smoldering ruin. Nod infantry was still putting up a stiff resistance, but it would ultimately prove useless as the Disruptors finally reached the plateau.

The large tanks moved into position, and in unison, fired their sonic emitters. A visible wall of destructive sound tore apart the ground and anything, and anyone, that was in the way. The three shockwaves ripped into the air tower, causing the entire building to shake as metal and concrete was blasted apart. Another salvo caused the entire building to collapse, with the Banshee fighters on the top platforms plummeting to the ground.

The Spetznaz troops that had been harassing them broke from the engagement, and retreated back through the bunker. Other Nod infantry likewise retreated, no doubt intending on holding out within the underground facility. The Disruptors fired again, and caused the science lab to cave in on itself, before a loud rumble caused the ground to open up, swallowing the lab and nearly a dozen squads of Nod soldiers. The Disruptors then turned on the powerplant, and it too was blasted apart.

The surface level of the base was utterly destroyed, but it would take GDI all day to clear the subterranean levels. However, John was more concerned with his teammates, so when he noticed the immediate area was clear, he and Prevost ran back over to Xhaferi. By the time they arrived back at the outcropping, a team of medics were hoisting Xhaferi into a Pitbull.

"How is he?" John asked.

"Stable, and going to be just fine. We have to bring him back to the Kodiak. I'm afraid he will be out of the fight for some time." The lead medic reported.

"John, come here." Xhaferi groaned.

John stepped over to his friend and sergeant. He looked fine, save for a sheen of sweat that covered his face, and the occasional grimace of pain.

"You're in charge 'till I get back. And no sleeping on the job this time." Xhaferi said with a wide grin.

"You got it Val. You just hurry up and get better."

Xhaferi sighed as hesettled back down in the stretcher, and the medics finished loading him into the vehicle. The Pitbull raced away, leaving the GDI force as they were in the midst of securing the plateau. John turned around to see Zemerik approaching, holding out John's rifle.

"Here yah go. Figure you probably want it back." Zemerik said.

"Thanks, Zee. Come on, let's go see what's going on."

John led the three men towards their platoon, where Tennant had gathered the other squad leaders. As they neared the group, Tennant waved for John to join them. John nodded to his friends, then walked over just as Tennant continued speaking.

"Engineers are moving up now to rig the plateau to blow. We're going to bury the bastards alive. In the meantime, the main force is going to continue towards the primary objective. The west entrance is said to be more lightly guarded, but still expect heavy resistance. Relay this to your squads; we are oscar mike in five."

John returned to Prevost and Zemerik, and relayed what the Lieutenant had just told him. The three men took the brief downtime to quickly stock up on ammo, and take a drink of water. When John felt sufficiently ready, the vanguard began moving down the next road, moving towards the missile facility. John and the rest of the platoon once more found themselves near the front, but at least now they didn't have to worry about fighting uphill through a narrow pass.

"Sure hope Sergeant Xhaferi will be okay." Zemerik stated, breaking through John's thoughts.

"Of course he will be. Val is a tough bastard." Prevost answered.

John smiled, and was about to add his own encouraging remarks, but stopped when the sound of gunfire erupted far ahead. The platoon immediately moved to cover, and the convoy crawled to a halt. John's first thought was that the vanguard had engaged with the base defences, but the lead Wolverines were untouched. More gunfire erupted, followed by screaming.

"_Hunter 2-1, move up to investigate." _Captain Mitch ordered.

"_Copy Actual, wilco." _

John followed the platoon forward, moving past the Wolverines. Tennant led them to a small knoll that offered a vantage point over the Nod base. John wasn't sure what to expect, but he certainly never would have guess this: Nod soldiers were hiding behind a series of laser turrets, shooting wildly at an enemy that was swiftly overrunning them.

Viceroids: the fleshy blobs of human remains and Tiberium growth were attacking the base. Lasers and bullets burned through the Viceroids, but more of the shapeless forms kept advancing. John had no idea why the creatures were attacking, but it definitely made their job easier.

"Sweet, now we can sit back and watch those Noddies get eaten." Prevost said with a sadistic grin.

"Those things are…" Zemerik never finished his statement, as it seemed he was trying hard not to throw up.

"What're your orders, LT?" John asked.

Tennant likewise seemed disturbed by the Viceroids, but he recovered quickly.

"It would certainly be nice to let those…_things_, deal with Nod. But we must destroy this base quickly. Platoon, advance! We'll bring the Wolverines as cover."

John nodded in agreement, and the platoon moved cautiously towards the base defences. The laser turrets would remain an issue, but the enemy infantry were still struggling to deal with the mutant creatures. The Wolverines stomped ahead and opened fire on the turrets, their armour piercing rounds easily chewing through the lasers. A few of the Nod soldiers whirled around and immediately began firing on the new threat. The GDI soldiers began picking them off, but the Viceroids also noticed the new arrivals.

John fired a burst that killed a Nod soldier, but before his body even hit the ground, a Viceroid consumed the corpse. Prevost and Zemerik then fired, full auto, on the creature, and their bullets tore into the putrid flesh, but still the creature remained moving. John fired another burst, and the Viceroid finally went still, and seeming to deflate. More GDI soldiers were still fighting off Nod troops or more of the things. But soon the Wolverines turned their cannons onto the Viceroids, having finished dealing with the turrets, and the creatures were quite literally ripped to shreds.

The Viceroids were defeated, their bulbous bodies deflated and oozing on the ground. What remained of the Nod defenders retreated back inside the base, closing the gate behind them. Before the GDI soldiers had a moment to collect themselves, two cannons fired directly behind them, blowing the gate apart in a thunderous clap. John whirled around just as two Titans moved around them and into the base. Soon other forces stormed in: more infantry, Wolverines, and Aegis tanks.

John led the squad into the base just behind one of the Disruptors, following it as it made it's way to a launch platform. Nod forces were already swarming to defend it, with numerous Tick and Scorpion tanks engaging the Aegis' and Titans. Harpy gunships also rose into the air and began hosing down the infantry, but the Hover SPAAGs were quick to counter, filling the air above the Nod facility with missile contrails. The battle almost instantly devolved into a chaotic mess, and John knew that GDI did not have the firepower to fight a battle of attrition. They needed to destroy the facility and prevent Nod from firing anymore WMDs.

The Disruptor John had been following came to a stop. The tank fired a blast of sonic energy at squad of Nod soldiers entrenched by a deployed Tick. The shockwave broke everything apart, human and machine, and the Disruptor began to move forward. That was, until a beam of ruby light destroyed one of the Hover SPAAGs escorting the tank. The Disruptor hastily fell back, and John looked up to see the source: an Obelisk of Light had been hidden from view behind a communications building, but now its glowing tip was impossible to miss, as it fired beams down on the GDI force.

"_Hunter 2-1, this is Actual. I need that Obelisk taken out!"_

"_Copy that! Platoon on me!"_

John motioned for Prevost and Zemerik to follow, as he led them back the way they had came. He then jogged over to the rest of the platoon, and followed them to the rear of the Obelisk. They would need to find some way to sneak past it, as John didn't want anyone to be vaporized by the massive weapon. Just as the platoon approached the Obelisk, it fired again, obliterating a Titan that had strayed into its line of fire. The platoon came to rest behind a Nod harvester, as Tennant began to lay out a plan. John knew the young lieutenant would try something straight out of a military academic textbook, which would probably get a lot of men killed. He was trying to think of a way to keep his squad alive, when he noticed something.

"Lieutenant!" John burst, cutting Tennant off mid sentence.

"Yes, Corporal Lancaster?" Tennant asked, annoyed at being interrupted.

"There's a bunker entrance, right there. It probably leads right into the Obelisk, part of an entire underground tunnel system."

"Can you be certain, Corporal?"

"I think the risk is better than walking right out in the open."

Tennant hummed for a moment, thinking over John's proposal. From what he had seen in Hammerfest, Tennant was willing to listen men who had more combat experience. Tennant finally nodded his head before speaking.

"Good call, Lancaster. Alright, everyone into the bunker: we can hit the bastards from right underneath them!"

John and his squad took point, kicking open the bunker entrance and stepping inside. John's theory was proven right, as the entrance led into a large tunnel that snaked off in multiple directions, one of which led directly to the Obelisk. The platoon carefully made their way through the tunnel, trying to listen for movement over the muffled sounds of battle above them.

The distance between the harvester and the Obelisk had seemed impossibly long, but in the tunnel below, it was actually just a short jog. But, as the platoon neared the large doors that would lead into the lower sections of the Obelisk, they spotted a group of Nod soldiers rushing through an adjacent tunnel.

"Contact right!" John shouted out.

Before Tennant could even give the order to fire, John already had let loose a spray of bullets. Two flame troopers were cut down instantly, and the rest of the Nod soldiers whirled around to face them. Prevost and Zemerik fired on full auto, filling the tunnel with lead, as others in the platoon took more precise bursts. John spotted another flame trooper attempt to move forward to spew his deadly flames. John fired a burst at the fuel tank strapped to his back, but the bullets merely bounced off. John shifted his aim and fired another burst, shattering the flame trooper's face plate and blowing blood and brain matter out the back of his helmet. With the trooper's death, the rest of the platoon finished off the remaining Nod soldiers, and the tunnel grew quiet once more.

"Let's keep moving." Tennant said sharply.

The platoon opened the large doors, and found themselves in a cavernous space filled with tubes, wires, and terminals. A group of Nod technicians turned around, whipping up pistols as the GDI troops stepped forward. The techs opened fire, catching one GDI soldier off guard, causing the woman to stumble backwards before collapsing dead. The others returned fire, easily slicing through the techs. Within seconds, the shooting stopped, and the room was cleared.

"Up the stairs!"

The platoon pounded their way up the flight of narrow metal stairs, with John and his squad at the lead. They ascended back up to the surface level, where they came into the main control room for the Obelisk of Light. Two squads of Nod soldiers were waiting, along with a single cyborg. The cyborg reacted first, firing an arm mounted machine gun. John and his squad managed to dive out of the way, but two men behind them took the brunt of the fusillade. John, Prevost, and Zemerik fired on the machine, punching through the thick amour. But the cyborg merely kept firing, slowly turning towards John and the others. John fired another burst that cut through the human part of the machine head, sending grey matter and circuitry raining onto the ground. The cyborg stood there momentarily, as if deciding whether or not it was dead, before falling over.

The rest of the platoon then stormed inside, trading fire with the human Nod soldiers. John quickly shifted his aim, and resumed firing, wounding a enemy soldier armed with a shotgun. The two sides soon found themselves stalemated, as neither one was able to dislodge the other. However, the door to the outside opened, and two Black Hand soldiers walk in, both armed with powerful laser rifles. Two scarlet beams of light lit up the small control room, and two GDI soldiers fell down screaming in pain.

"Zee, fire a grenade on those heavies!" John barked.

Zemerik didn't reply as he hastily loaded a grenade. He fired it in a straight line, and the grenade impacted center mass of the leftmost Black Hand. The heavy soldier stumbled, but was still alive, until Prevost unloaded an entire magazine into the opening created by Zemerik's grenade. The second Black Hand fired a bolt directly at the young soldier, but fortunately Zemerik ducked down just in time. John fired a burst at the second Black Hand's helmet, but it did little more than dent it. John ducked down as well, just as another bolt seared past him.

"Zee, anymore grenades?" John asked.

"Sorry man, all out!"

"Then we concentrate fire. Aim for the head!"

The three men stood in unison, and fired as one. Their combined fire caused the Black Hand trooper to stumble, before the bullets finally shattered his helmet, and sent the heavy soldier collapsing. With the Black Hand dead, the battle ended: the Nod soldiers were all killed, but the platoon had taken some losses as well.

Tennant sent two men from his command squad to begin tinkering with the console, before sending the rest of the platoon outside to secure the Obelisk.

But when John exited outside, he could see that the battle was essentially over. The Disruptors had moved into position, and were now blasting apart the critical structures of the facility: launch pads, missile production factories, and research labs, all being pounded into ruin. A flight of Orca Bombers also flew overhead, bombing other sections of the base, sending pillars of flame and smoke into the air.

Europe had been avenged, and hopefully that would be enough to set the millions of souls to rest.

… … …

It wasn't until early the next morning, that John had a chance to visit the Kodiak's infirmary. The Nod base had been utterly destroyed, and thousands of Nod military and civilian personnel had either been killed or captured. It was an important victory for GDI, and now the 41st Enforcer Brigade were busy combing through the ruins, to ensure Nod could never use this base again. John had also seen what was left of the Banshee factory: the engineers had caused the entire underground complex to collapse in on itself, burying all the secrets the factory contained underneath miles of rock.

It felt nice to win, especially after their pyrrhic victory at Hammerfest, and the devastation of Europe. John shook the thoughts from his head, as he entered the infirmary. Countless men laid on cots, moaning in pain and calling for nurses. John glided his way through the cramped space to one specific cot, but stopped on the spot when he noticed Lieutenant Tennant was speaking with Xhaferi. John slowly approached, and gave the Lieutenant a salute.

"At ease, Corporal. This is actually good timing." Tennant said around a large grin.

"What's going on, sir?"

"Well kid, looks like I'm going to be out of the fight for a few months. Bullet damn near punctured my lung, so I'm in no condition to fight." Xhaferi said regretfully.

"The Sergeant and I were talking, and I already have confirmation from the Captain. You are being promoted to sergeant. Congratulations, son." Tennant stated.

John was silent for a moment. He looked over at Xhaferi, who nodded his head approvingly.

"Thank you, sir. It is an honour!"

"Glad to hear it. Well, I'll leave you two alone. Good work out there."

Tennant left, and John sat down in a nearby chair, suddenly very tired. He looked back to Xhaferi, who wore a shit eating grin.

"Looks like you're in charge now. Take good care of them."

"I will, Val. But you go home and get better as soon as you can, you hear?"

"Look at you, not even promoted for an minute and already giving orders."

The two men laughed, but it had a bittersweet feeling to it. John hated to see Xhaferi go: he was his friend and leader, and it wouldn't be the same without him.

"Take care, Val."

"You too, kid."

… … …

The bridge was silent as officers sipped on coffee or tea to help jumpstart their shifts. Many were still tired from the battle yesterday, and from two months of constant fighting. McNeil himself sipped on a cup of synth coffee, grimacing at the bitter taste. Mark Lancaster, on the other hand, seemed alert and ready as he poured over a satellite image of the Nod capital in Cairo.

"That bastard is up to something." Mark stated.

"Its Kane. He's always up to something." McNeil countered.

"No, have a look. There are three locations dotted around the primary base, but if you look closely, what do you see?"

"Those are ICBM launchers, like the ones in Hammerfest." McNeil answered, growing fear in his stomach.

"EVA, when will the _Philadelphia _pass overhead of Northern Africa?" Mark asked.

"In approximately 36 hours." The AI stated.

"That doesn't give us much time. We will have to move quickly." McNeil said.

"Sirs, do I have to remind you that we are hardly at half strength? The men are at the breaking point, and you want to charge into the Brotherhood's capital? Is vengeance the only thing you two can think about!?" Chandra shouted, jolting the bridge crew awake.

"Son, we have a chance to end this war here and now. I think anyone here would be willing to make that sacrifice." Mark replied sternly.

"That isn't your call to make, _sir_."

"Chandra, that's enough." McNeil barked.

Tensions were high, and McNeil worried his crew could break at any moment. But if he had a chance to end the war, to save millions of lives, he just had to take it. His personal vendetta was just a bonus to saving the free world.

"Sirs, General Solomon on the horn for you." Brink interrupted.

Mark sighed as he moved towards the terminal. McNeil shot Chandra a quick glance before he followed. Perhaps it was best to let the man get some rest, or at the very least get away from the bridge for a bit.

"_Gentlemen, outstanding job. With the threat of Nod WMDs eliminated, we can begin to re-establish our European theatre. As you can imagine, things are in chaos. With so many units and high ranking officers killed, command of the European theatre has been relegated to Admiral Sloane and the 9__th__ Marine Expeditionary Force. You and the 22__nd__ are to return to London, for your well deserved rest." _

McNeil and Mark looked to each other, and the older man nodded. McNeil took a deep breath, before turning back to the General.

"Sir, with all due respect, I'm afraid we can't do that. Sir, we believe Kane may be attempting to use ICBMs to destroy the _Philadelphia _again. The station is going to pass overhead in 36 hours, and we don't have anyone to respond in time. General, we are ready."

"_Absolutely not. We can not afford to launch a direct attack on Egypt, especially not with a under strength division."_

"Did you not hear him, James? We have no time. The 22nd is ready to deploy!"

"_You aren't in charge anymore, Mark! I said no__:__ General Harkin and the 3__rd__ Army Group will respond."_

"Sir, they won't make it in time-"

"_The answer in no, Mack. Return to London, that is an order."_

Solomon ended the call, turning the screen blank. McNeil turned to face his crew. They all looked to him, awaiting orders. Mark placed a hand on his shoulders, and McNeil could feel an added weight.

"If we do this, you know you will be going AWOL." Mark whispered.

"Mack, are you sure about this?" Chandra asked.

McNeil was silent as he thought. These men and women under his command had suffered greatly within the opening months of this war, but they had a real chance to end the war, to finally kill Kane. They had to take this chance, and he would have to ask them all to sacrifice more.

_Saving GDI is more important than saving you._

McNeil sighed as he looked up at his crew, he then looked up to the roof, where he imagined EVA was staring down at him.

"EVA, what is Commander Anvil's position?"

"Commander Anvil and the 19th Mechanized Division are currently in Sudan, under the command of General Harkin and the 3rd Army Group." EVA reported.

"Send her a message, tell her I need a favour. Brink, try to contact Umagon and her Forgotten."

"Yes sir!" Brink replied.

"Affirmative, Commander." EVA said emotionlessly.

"I have a favour I can call in. We are doing the right thing, Mack."

Mark walked away before McNeil could reply, and he could only hope the old man was right.

"Well, Mack, if you are going to lead us into Hell. Then I suppose you will need someone to help drag your ass back out." Chandra said.

"Hell is exactly where we are going, and I plan to kill the devil."

"Commander, all forces are ready to move out." Brink reported.

"Good. Lieutenant Chandra, set a course for Egypt."

"Aye, aye sir."

The Kodiak lifted off, rising into the sky. It was time to go kill a messiah.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

"_We knew the world would not be the same. A few people laughed, a few people cried, most people were silent. I remembered the line from the Hindu scripture, the Bhagavad-Gita: Vishnu is trying to persuade the Prince that he should do his duty and, to impress him, takes on his multi-armed form and says, "Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds." I suppose we all thought that, one way or another."  
\- J. Robert Oppenheimer_

**Cairo, Egypt**

**December 3****rd****, 2030**

**0700**

The world was in flames, as a thousand different battle were currently taking place across the globe. North and South America were still divided by both sides, with neither gaining much ground. Asia had received little of the carnage of the Second Tiberium War, but still, Nod and GDI clashed. Even the Tiberium devastated Europe was the heart of the greatest conflicts of the war. But it was in Africa, that this war would come to an end.

GDI forces had made little headway in taking territory in the continent. Africa had been staunchly loyal to the Brotherhood since the First War, perhaps even longer. So for McNeil and his joint band of renegades to get into Egypt, had been no easy task. The Mediterranean and Adriatic Seas were firmly held by the Brotherhood Navy, and the most elite forces were stationed in Northern Africa, all to defend their Messiah. But McNeil had done the impossible: he had gathered his forces right on Kane's doorstep, and it had only taken flying through one of the worst Ion storms in years. He was lucky he hadn't lost any ships; a few minor scorch marks were nothing short of a miracle.

But miracles would not be enough to win this battle. Stretched out in front of the Kodiak was the combined forces of the 22nd Airborne, 19th Mechanized, 41st Enforcer Brigade, and the Forgotten. It was an impressive, if ad-hoc force. But the enemy defences were formidable, and the clock was working against them. This was going to be the most difficult fight of McNeil's life, and even if he won, it would be his last because his decision to disobey Solomon would end his career – that is, if he wasn't executed for treason.

"Ready to save the world?" Mark asked.

McNeil just scoffed as he followed the older man to the holographic table. Chandra, Umagon, and Cassandra Anvil were already there, looking over the massive base that defended Kane's pyramid HQ. McNeil noted three spots around the base marked in red. Those were the ICBM launchers that would destroy the _Philadelphia _in less than twelve hours. They were all well defended by elite Black Hand soldiers and the forces of Nod's 2nd Army.

"So, Michael, how do you want to do this?" Anvil asked as she crossed her arms.

"If you Blunts take out those launchers and distract Kane's forces, my Forgotten and I can get into the pyramid and finish this." Umagon stated, casting Anvil with a suspicious eye.

"Not going to happen. We have to work together on this one. Cassey, I want you and Umagon to lead an attack on Objective November. That's the most heavily defended, and gives us a clear shot at the main base. Your heavy armour and the Forgotten warriors should be more than enough to deal with Nod. I'll take the 22nd and what we took from the 41st Brigade, and attack Objective Oscar. Once those two are dealt with, we will launch a combined attack on Objective Mike. Any questions?"

"Yeah, when do we go and crush some Noddie skulls?" Anvil asked enthusiastically.

"Orca Bombers are doing a run now, to help soften up enemy defences. Return to your respective units, and wait for my signal."

"You got it, oh great and mighty general." Anvil said sarcastically.

"Good luck Blunt- I mean, good luck, McNeil."

Both women left the bridge, and McNeil let out a long sigh. Both Mark and Chandra gave him a smug smile.

"Very popular with the ladies, aren't you?" Mark chuckled to himself.

"Watch yourself old man." McNeil warned, but with a joking tone.

"Sir, bombers are coming in for their run now." Chandra reported, instantly becoming serious.

McNeil changed the holographic display to show a live feed of the bombers. Twenty of the heavy craft flew towards the base, ready to rain destruction onto the enemy. A single squadron of Raptors also flew just behind, ready to engage any Nod flyers that they may send.

"Uh, sir? Incoming transmission. From the pyramid." Brink reported.

McNeil had a feeling Kane would call, no doubt to try and get into his mind and undermine him somehow.

"Put it up."

The main screen was filled by Kane, located in the pyramid's main control room. He had his usual predatory grin on his face, as his officers worked behind him.

"_Ah, Commander McNeil. You should have called __first; I would hav__e prepared a party for you."_

"Its over, you bastard. We are here to kill you."

"_Oh, I hope you do a better job than your old friend Lancaster. Perhaps if he had actually killed me, millions of people wouldn't be dead."_

McNeil heard Mark growl behind him, but he kept talking to stop the man from losing his temper.

"You are going to answer for all of your crimes."

"_And what about you? Are you willing to accept your crimes? Like betraying your General Solomon? Going rogue and killing your own brother?" _

"Jake's death is on your hands. And besides, I was never big on following orders." McNeil flashed his own smile, to show Kane could not get to him.

"_So it would seem. To be truthful, I am glad you came. Now you can witness my victory. After I decimate your forces."_

The transmission ended, and McNeil turned back to his crew. Kane had just suffered his first defeat of this battle, as he failed to rattle McNeil's resolve. Maybe he would keep the maniac alive long enough to see that damned smile wiped off his face.

"Sir! Incoming Banshees, and lots of them!" Chandra shouted.

McNeil looked back to the live feed of the bombers. Sure enough, his Raptors were racing out to meet the Nod aircraft. Only there were three times as many Banshees as his own fighter jets. McNeil didn't think the Brotherhood had that many Banshees, after they had destroyed the prototype factory.

The Banshees and Raptors crashed into each other, forming a grueling dogfight. Missile and autocannon fire conflicted with green bolts of plasma, and soon it was all added by the flashes of destroyed jets. The Banshees cut through both the Raptors and Orca Bombers with ease, with the latter never being able to drop their payloads.

"Damn. Okay, we have to do this the hard way. Brink, bring our point defences up, and deploy all our AA to the field. EVA, send warning to Anvil and Umagon."

"Yes, sir." Both human and machine replied.

"Chandra, get more Raptors in the air. We need to thin out those Banshees."

"Yes, sir!"

"Is your friend in position?" McNeil asked, turning to Mark.

"Yes, let's hope we don't need him though."

McNeil nodded, then turned back to the table, which now displayed the entire battlefield. His forces were ready, and so were Nod's. It was now or never. McNeil turned on the comms that would let him speak to every soldier under his command.

"All units, commence the attack!"

… … …

Sergeant John Lancaster was tossed against his restraints, as the AAPC raced into the battlefield. Explosions and gunfire sounded out all around them, muffled through the vehicle's armour. The machine gunner at the top never stopped firing, and casings now rolled around on the floor. Zemerik and Prevost sat across from him, ready as they would ever be. John wished Xhaferi could be here, but it was up to him now to get his friends home alive. He already failed West; he would not fail the others.

"This is it! No backup, no orbital support, just McNeil and his crazy schemes!" Prevost shouted.

"I'm sure my father had something to do with this too!" John yelled back.

"Think we'll survive this one!?" Zemerik asked as he clung to his restraints.

"So long as we kill Kane before we die, then who cares!?" Prevost countered.

"First one to kill Kane, gets free beer for life!" John boasted.

The men smiled at that, but they faded quickly as the AAPC came to a halt. The ramp lowered, and the men rushed out. The sounds of battle grew in intensity, and already John was assaulted by the sounds of men dying. John led his squad up to the front, where more soldiers from Alpha Company were already engaged with Nod forces. They took cover behind a fallen Titan, and immediately began picking off targets. There was no shortage of Nod infantry, now ranging from basic riflemen, to cyborgs and elite Black Hand.

Wolverines took up position behind the lines of infantry, hosing down the enemy with sheer volume of fire. Further down the line, Aegis tanks and more Titans tried to push past the overwhelming number of Tick and Scorpion tanks. But now they had more Disruptors on their side, and their powerful sonic attacks easily blasted apart the enemy armour.

GDI undoubtedly had the firepower advantage; only problem was, Nod had the numerical advantage, and it was a very _large _advantage.

"Black Hand squad! On the left!" Zemerik called out.

"Shift fire, focus them down!" John barked.

The three men focused their fire on the Black Hand squad, their bullets doing little more than denting their armour. The Nod elites returned fire with laser rifles, sending ruby bolts of light sizzling past them. John fired a burst into the lead soldier's chest, finally cracking the armour. Prevost followed up with two more bursts, which put the man down. The other four shrugged off their bullets, and filled the air with laser fire.

John ducked down to avoid being disintegrated. He needed to find some way to deal with the Black Hand and their heavy armour.

"Prevost, toss a frag!"

"Got it!"

John and Prevost both tossed their grenades, which landed at the Black Hand's feet. One attempted to kick the grenade away, but both grenades exploded, killing two Black Hand outright and sending the other two falling backwards. John and his squad then fired on the downed enemy, killing them where they laid.

Several Flame tanks and Reckoner APCs drove up to the front, safe behind Nod lines. The APCs disgorged more infantry, and they followed behind the Flame tanks as they rolled forward. A Wolverine was caught out in the open, and was engulfed in the flames of two Flame tanks. The intense heat caused the walker's light armour to turn into smoldering slag, its driver no doubt cooked alive. Nearby, Aegis tanks turned to face the fearsome enemy vehicles, but the charging infantry would be left to John and the others.

"Focus on Flame troopers and Confessors! They're the biggest threat!" John warned.

His friends gave mute replies, as they continued to fire on the enemy. There was little else to do but point and shoot his gun. The Nod soldiers continued to run into the bullets, seemingly far more fanatical than any soldier John had faced before. But he supposed that made sense, as these were Kane's most loyal soldiers, and he certainly had no lack of them.

John had just killed a Confessor, easily identified by their iconic conical helmet, when three GDI soldiers arrived, all armed with LMGs. As they extended their bipods and deployed their weapons along the Titan's twisted leg, the lead sergeant leaned in closer to John and shouted:

"Lieutenant Ghaani wants you guys to move up to that downed Orca Bomber! We'll cover you!"

"Understood, but what happened to Tennant?"

"Dead before he even got off the APC. Now go!"

John relayed the orders to his squad, then bolted just as the guns opened fire. Scores of Nod soldiers were chopped down like wheat, but still more came. The three men narrowly avoided being shot as they reached the still smoking bomber. The cockpit was completely shattered, and the blocky frame twisted beyond repair. But it offered good cover, and John and his squad resumed firing. Several Nod soldiers were caught off guard, but a nearby fireteam of cyborgs turned their attention towards them.

"Zee, load up a grenade. Prevost, soften one up for him, I'll focus on the other one."

"Got it!"

John and Prevost unloaded their magazines on the machines, blowing away chunks of flesh and denting bits of armour. The cyborgs opened fire with their machine guns, their bullets pinging off the bomber's frame. Zemerik stood up to fire his grenade, which caused one cyborg to get ripped apart like a tin can. Zemerik ducked down to reload, as John continued to fire on the second one. He managed to cause the cyborg to stumble backwards, but it swung its gun back to face him and fired a string of bullets. John ducked just in time, as Zemerik fired once more, putting down the remaining cyborg for good.

The three men reloaded their weapons, and readied to face down more enemy forces. It seemed like GDI had made no progress, other than the mounting wall of dead soldiers. John could even see their target, just past the Nod line. The ICBM launcher was guarded by SAM sites and laser turrets. But what had John concerned, was that the missile had been raised into a firing position. They still had ten hours: why was Nod getting it ready to fire now?

Ultimately, it didn't matter, as they still had to destroy it. But getting to it was becoming harder by the minute. John noticed a sudden drop in friendly fire, and spotted the LMG squad reloading, while another riflemen squad covered them. However, a enemy squad of Black Hand acolytes was moving forward to engage, and seemingly had avoided their attention. John fired a short burst which killed the lead acolyte, and caused the others to dive into cover. The remaining acolytes immediately shifted their attention onto John and his squad, allowing the LMG squad to finish reloading and resume firing, but unfortunately that meant John now had to deal with some pissed off acolytes.

Two were almost immediately cut down by fire from the LMGs, but the other three did something completely unexpected: they all armed grenades and began charging straight towards John! Zemerik and Prevost easily shot down the suicide bombers, and a split second later, they exploded in a shower of gore. John was slightly perturbed by the sight, but he pushed it away and kept fighting.

Progress was finally made, as a trio of Aegis tanks rolled forward. Their cannons blasted apart Nod light vehicles, while turret mounted and coaxial guns help cut through the infantry. The LMG squad from earlier redeployed to the down bomber, and John took his squad into the battlefield. They pushed towards the ICBM launcher, but the wall of enemy forces was still standing in their way.

John led the squad into cover by a wrecked Attack Buggy. The Aegis tanks came to a halt, unable to move any further. More infantry took up position around the tanks, and tried to fight through the overwhelming enemy force. John spotted another cyborg fireteam, and focused his attention on them. However, before John could do anything, the cyborgs were cut down from above, and John looked up to see Jump troopers from Zulu Company descending towards them. A few squads remained in the air, picking off groups of cyborgs or Black Hand, while the rest landed to support the infantry of Alpha.

"_Hunter 2-6, this is Ravager 1-1. I need you to escort a heavy weapons team. EVA is giving you the marker now." _Lieutenant Ghaani ordered.

"Hunter 2-6 copies all. Let's go!"

John and the others moved towards the nav marker on their HUDs, passing behind the line of soldiers and tanks as they continued the uphill battle. Eventually, John could see a Wolverine laying down a wall of fire, and a squad of riflemen and rocket troopers huddled just behind. Upon seeing John and his squad, the heavy weapons team began to move forward, closer to the enemy lines. The Wolverine stomped ahead, cutting down any Nod foot soldier that got in the way.

A new marker appeared that pointed to a Tiberium crusted dune. John guessed the team planned to try and get a shot on the ICBM from there, rather than trying to push through the enemy. Unfortunately, the Brotherhood also seemed to have guessed the same thing, as a Buggy and several squads moved to intercept them.

"Take out that Buggy! Squad, cover them!" John barked.

John and his squad crouched low and began picking off the Nod soldiers, as the heavy weapons team readied themselves to fire on the Buggy. The Wolverine swiveled around to help, but it was blown apart by a barrage of RPG fire. John spotted one of the Nod rocket troopers, and fired a burst into his chest, sending him collapsing to the ground in a heap.

The Nod Buggy began raking its machine gun back and forth, chewing apart the ground, as well as one of the GDI soldiers carrying the team's machine gun. But at the same moment, another GDI soldier fired her rocket, which obliterated the Buggy. The Nod riflemen continued to try and shoot down the rocket troopers, but John and the others kept them pinned down.

"_Ravager 1-1, this is Picon 6-6. We have a clear shot on Objective Oscar, say again, clear shot on Objective Oscar." _One of the GDI rocket troopers reported.

"_1-1 copies. Take the shot!" _Ghaani shouted.

"_Backblast clear!"_

"_ROCKET!" _

John watched the rocket fly through the air, over the head of the Nod troops. The rocket barely made it above the line of lasers and SAMs, before exploding harmlessly behind the ICBM launcher.

"_Missed!"_

"Fire again!" John urged.

Another rocket was fired a moment later, again barely clearing above the Nod forces. This time however, the rocket exploded at the base of the missile. The explosion ripped apart the launcher frame, and the missile toppled over, while the vehicle itself buckled and tipped over from the sudden shift in weight.

The Nod forces were very clearly pissed, as several more Buggies and infantry squads instantly came bearing down on John's position!

"_Ravager 1-1, target eliminated. But we are now under heavy fire and cut off! We need help!" _

"_Hang tight, Picon 6-6, Hunter 2-6. Help is on the way!"_

"_A__ll units, this is Command. Everyone is to fall back to rally point Delta. All units fall back to rally point Delta. I say again, fall back to rally point Delta!" _Chandra's voice was calm, but John could detect the urgency hidden beneath it.

The heavy weapons squad had retreated back to John's position. Having now ditched their heavier ordnance for rifles or submachine guns, they tried to hold off the enemy, but it wasn't enough to prevent the Buggies from cutting them all to ribbons in seconds. Fortunately, before that could occur, an Aegis arrived with guns blazing. It blew apart one of the Buggies, before its machine guns kept the infantry suppressed.

"Let's go! Fall back!" John barked.

Everyone began a mad dash to join back up with friendly forces. Only they were all headed towards the Nod base, where the 19th and the Forgotten were battling it out with Nod forces. Most of the infantry had managed to get back onto APCs, or rode on the sides of tanks. But John and others were stuck running on foot. He risked a glance behind him, only to see the Aegis that had saved them had been destroyed. Numerous Titans were also being destroyed, as the slow moving walkers simply couldn't keep up with the rest of the unit.

John felt sorry for those men and women, but right now all he could focus on was running and staying alive. Prevost and Zemerik were running just a few feet ahead of him, when they abruptly dove for cover. John didn't question it, and followed suit. He landed hard on his shoulder, just beside Zemerik, when two Buggies managed to cut off the retreating GDI soldiers. John watched in horror as dozens of friendly troopers were torn apart.

"Contacts! Rear!" Prevost shouted.

John turned to see the pursuing Nod infantry were killing anyone the Buggies had missed. And soon they would find John and his men. They were effectively cut off, with no chance of reinforcements.

_Think__,__ damn it! How would Val get us out?_

John simply could find no solution to escape, but thankfully, it would seem the universe would provide one for him. A Pitbull came racing towards them, firing two rockets from its twin launchers. Both Buggies were destroyed, and the Pitbull pulled over just in front of the wrecks. The driver leaned out, and frantically waved towards John.

"HURRY UP! GET IN!"

John didn't need to order his men to run, as they were already racing for the Pitbull. All three men piled into the back, and the vehicle sped off. Bullets pinged off the armour as the vehicle sped to catch up with the others.

"Thanks for the rescue! I owe you big time." John said breathlessly.

"If we live through this, I'll hold you to it!" The driver replied.

More bullets pinged off the vehicle, andZemerik and Prevost lowered the windows to stick their rifles out to fire. John was somewhat helpless, as he was crammed into the middle, so he decided to listen in on the radio.

"_-again! We can not reach Objective November! Too many Noddies in the way, and the Forgotten can't break through!"_

"_Affirmative, Wendigo 3-7. We have heavy support moving to the front, but it will take time, over?"_

"_Yeah, I hear you!"_

"_Ravager 1-1 to Odin Actual. Be advised, we are passing through rally point Delta and are almost in your AO. We are coming in hot, how copy?"_

"_Odin Actual copies all. Moving support to you now. Advise all units proceed to rally point Echo."_

"Hey! Did you catch that!? Head to RP Echo!" John asked over the radio chatter.

"Yeah, I heard! Just- oh fuck!"

The Pitbull abruptly swerved hard to the right, just as a tank shell exploded a few feet away. John peered out the front window, and saw a Scorpion tank had them targeted. The Pitbull swerved again, but it proved useless as another tank shell sent the vehicle flipping over forwards. The crash jostled everyone around, causing John to smack his head against Prevost's. As the vehicle settled, John shook the stars from his vision, then pushed on Zemerik, urging the kid to get the door open.

The three men, plus the driver and gun operator, crawled out of the Pitbull, only to come face to face with the Scorpion and a squad of Nod soldiers.

"Drop your weapons!" A Nod confessor commanded.

John had no intention of doing that, as he didn't want to end up in a conversion camp. He tensed his body, ready to snap up his rifle in a instant. The two sides eyed each other for little more than a few seconds, but it felt like an eternity to John. He was about to give the order to open fire, when the Scorpion exploded. A piece of shrapnel embedded itself in the confessor's head, causing him to fall forward. John and the others wasted no time, and cut the other Nod soldiers down before they could properly process what had just happened.

With the immediate threat dealt with, John turned to see who had saved him. And was shocked as he watched Forgotten warriors charge into the Nod forces. The mutants easily overpowered the Nod infantry, causing them to beat a hasty retreat. Old Crusader tanks, now painted with Forgotten symbols, began pushing back enemy armour.

The mutants continued to chase the Nod forces back, but one mutant walked over to John.

"Come, your warriors and our brothers continue the fight! We must hurry."

John nodded at the Forgotten before turning back to address his squad and their new add-ons.

"Come on. Let's find the LT." John urged.

The five men jogged towards friendly lines, where the two GDI forces had now merged together. Infantry were busy at work fortifying their position, creating shallow foxholes or sandbag dugouts. There was a clear siege line, where Titans and Juggernauts were bombarding the thick walls that surrounded the main base, along with the rows of Obelisks. John could also see a graveyard of GDI and Nod tanks, stretching from the siege line to the entrance of the base. The 19th had attempted to push through, and had failed, and were now setting up for a prolonged bombardment.

John was no great strategist, but he knew that they could not afford a lengthy siege. But he pushed those thoughts aside as he led the squad to where other members of the 22nd had gathered, listening to platoon leaders shout out new orders. He eventually found familiar faces from 1st Platoon, who were now getting their orders from Beta Company's Lieutenant Ghaani.

"Good work boys and girls! First objective has been eliminated, but we've definitely kicked the beehive now. Nod is throwing everything they got at us, and its taking everything the 19th has just to keep 'em back. New orders are as follows: heavy armour is going to push up and try to crack open the front door. Airborne and Forgotten infantry will push up with 'em to give the tanks cover. Time is ticking!"

The soldiers quickly dispersed, moving towards the front where the mutant soldiers were already waiting. John led his squad- which still included the Pitbull crew- towards a Forgotten El Diablo light tank, and the squad of Forgotten warriors who stood nearby. Zemerik stopped short of the squad, and John traced his hesitation to the large Tiberian Fiend that sat near one of the mutants, its tongue hanging out of its mouth like it was a domesticated dog, and not a vicious mutant creature.

"Try not to get in our way, Blunts." The beast master growled.

"Just make sure your…pet, knows who the bad guys are." Prevost countered.

Further argument was cut off by the rumbling of massive engines. The two squads turned to locate the source of the noise, and John couldn't stop the wild grin that spread across his face. Three Mammoth tanks rolled forward, twin barrels already firing at the distant defences.

"Fuck yeah! I have always wanted to see one of those!" Zemerik cheered.

"Forward, advance!" John shouted, trying to hide his own excitement.

The GDI squad moved forward, and the Forgotten followed a second later. The El Diablo moved in front of them, but it looked like a child's RC car compared to the Mammoths. The massive tanks easily dispatched any Nod vehicle in their way, their cannons thundered across the battlefield, while side mounted missile pods rained salvos of rockets onto enemy infantry. The joint GDI and Forgotten force had little problem dealing with the stragglers, as they moved to the Nod base.

The Mammoths had nearly reached the halfway point, when they were suddenly struck by heavy fire. John tried to see where the shells were coming from, but they looked as though to be coming from thin air. It wasn't until he spotted the dome like structure, that the cold realization hit him.

"Ravager 1-1, I have eyes on a Nod stealth generator. On the ridge about west, north west of the Mammoths. I think its hiding enemy AT bunkers, over?"

"_Understood Hunter2-6, 1-1 copies all, thanks. Break. Ravager 1-1 to Crown 3-3, be advised, infantry have eyes on Nod stealth generator. EVA uploading coordinates."_

"_Copy that. Targets are locked, thanks for the heads up, Ravager." _

One of the Mammoths turned its massive turret, just as another shell glanced off its armour. It fired both barrels simultaneously, and the stealth generator exploded. Four concrete bunkers soon materialized into existence, and more cannon fire erupted, along with streams of machine gun rounds that now rained down on the infantry. The lead Mammoth took the brunt of all four shells: three exploded harmlessly against the thick armour plates, but the final one pierced through and destroyed the left front treads. The Mammoth ground to a halt, unable to move, but that did not stop it from firing back with both cannons and missiles.

"_Alpha Company, advance on those bunkers! We need to clear them." _Captain Mitch ordered.

"You heard the man, let's go." John said. His squad began climbing the ridge towards the bunkers, but John turned to the mutants still following the El Diablo. "Beast Master, I could use your help up there."

"We have our own orders, Blunt. We do not follow you." The mutant snapped.

"We should work together on this. Besides, taking out those bunkers are the only way we get in. You can see the amount of machine gun fire coming from them."

The mutant growled to himself, but after a moment, reluctantly nodded.

"Fine. Warriors! With me!"

John led the mutants up to his squad, and together the two units moved towards the bunkers. Other squads and platoons from Alpha Company approached from multiple directions, but they all headed towards the same objective. The bunkers continued to pour weapons fire down on the GDI force, and John could see the immobilized Mammoth would not be able to last for much longer.

"_1__st__ and 2__nd__ Platoon, listen up! We are going to take out the bunker designated Lima Alpha. Go, go, go!" _Ghaani shouted.

John led the two squads towards the bunker that the Lieutenant had just indicated. Black Hand infantry, along side more cyborgs, rushed forward to engage the GDI and Forgotten troops. Machine gun fire and lasers scythed through the joint force, and John quickly led his team into cover behind a low concrete wall. Five GDI soldiers, and six Forgotten warriors, fired in unison at the Nod forces. Black Hand and cyborg troops were torn apart by the fusillade. But more enemy soldiers simply rushed in to fill the gaps, and light vehicles quickly entered into the fray.

The Forgotten El Diablos, and a handful of Wolverines tried to combat the rush if of Attack Bikes and Buggies, but it still prevented the joint force from advancing any further. The bunkers fired another salvo, and the Mammoth could no longer hold off. The large tank exploded, shaking the ridge. The other two Mammoths began to fall back, trying to get out of the gun's range.

"Christina! No!"

John lowered his rifle to see what the sudden commotion was about, and was nearly knocked to the ground by the Forgotten Beast Master. The mutant's Fiend had rushed out into the thick of battle, leaping onto Nod soldiers and ripping their throat out. A cyborg attempted to fire on the Fiend, but the creature perforated the machine full of Tiberium shards.

John was stunned by the creature's ferocity, and even more so by its master's desire to protect it, even that meant running out into the open. Man and beast fought as one, but unfortunately, they were both torn apart by a Buggy. John felt sorry for the two, but he pushed those feelings aside, and shouted to one of the other mutants.

"Get that tank firing on those Buggies!"

The mutant nodded, and moments later, the El Diablo destroyed the Buggy. John was ready to order his team forward, when the ground began to shake. Instinct kicked in and he was already ordering his men to fall back, when the Flame tanks emerged from underground. Six of the fearsome tanks burst onto the surface, and Tiberium fueled flames spewed over the battlefield. GDI and Forgotten infantry had already fallen back, but a few stragglers were instantly turned to blackened bones.

GDI grenadiers and Mutant heavy weapons teams began firing on the Flame tanks, trying to halt their advance, while joint infantry squads continued to lay down walls of fire on the Nod troops. It seemed as though they would never break through, as Harpy gunships hovered above the bunkers, allowing more Black Hand to repel down.

John fired a burst at a Black Hand soldier armed with a laser rifle, and managed to kill the woman, at the same moment a loud thunderclap went off in his ear. It took his brain a moment to process what had just happened, but in that same instance, one of the bunkers had been destroyed. Just as his hearing began to recover, another thunderclap went off, and another bunker was annihilated.

"What the fuck is that!?" Zemerik asked excitedly.

John turned to see what he was talking about, and felt his jaw drop in awe. A colossal walker was slowly moved forward on four legs, supporting a large, rectangular body. Strapped to both sides of the monstrous vehicle were two powerful rail guns, along with numerous missile pods on top of the main structure. The thing looked somewhat like a giant, metal camel, and it fired one of the rail guns again, and the third bunker was obliterated.

"That is the pride of GDI! The Mammoth Mk II!" Prevost explained.

The Mammoth walker took a long, lumbering step, then fired once more. The final bunker was reduced to rubble in a flash, and Nod forces began retreating into the base.

"_All units, this is Viking. Knocking down the door!" _The Mammoth Mk II pilot reported.

The Mammoth walker fired both rail guns simultaneously, and both the large gate and one of the Obelisks were annihilated.

"_All units! Advance into the base!" _Commander McNeil ordered.

The entire joint GDI/Forgotten force rushed into the Nod base, as the Mammoth walker and other armoured vehicles began pounding away at the defences. John led his squad into cover, and began blasting away at the Nod soldiers. The Mammoth walker walked into the base, and fired on the ICBM launcher located on an artificial platform. The launcher was reduced to shrapnel, and the GDI forces began marching towards the pyramid.

"_Forgotten warriors, divert to Objective Mike." _McNeil said, barely audible over the roar of battle.

"_Forget it, Blunt. Kane is mine." _Another voice retorted, no doubt the Forgotten leader, Umagon.

"_Damn it! We don't have time for this. We-"_

The radio cut out as the ground tremble once again from emerging subterranean vehicles. Only this time, it was much stronger, and moments later, dozens of APCs burst to the surface. Hundreds of Nod soldiers and cyborgs rushed out to join the front lines. However the shaking didn't stop, not until the massive frame of the Montauk erupted forth. John could feel their victory slipping away; with this many reinforcements, and the arrival of Slavik, they would have no chance of getting to Kane.

"INCOMING!"

John reflexively dove to the ground, just as a trio of Banshees passed by overhead. They fired on the Mammoth, blowing massive chunks of armour off the walker. However the colossal beast still stood, and fired back with a flurry of rockets, and one Banshee was hit, spinning out of control before crashing into the pyramid.

"_All forces, hold your ground! We have to fight through!"_ McNeil barked.

John and his squad kept firing, killing scores of Nod forces. He looked at his friends, and he felt guilty, guilty that he couldn't save them.

"Give them hell! If we die here, we take as many of them with us!" John said, trying to sound encouraging.

They didn't reply, they kept fighting, and that was all John could really ask for.

… … …

"There's no way we can reach the last launcher in time. Not with this many forces blocking our way." Mark stated.

McNeil didn't respond: he was too focused on the holographic image of the Montauk. Slavik had showed up, and he was finally within reach. He could get vengeance for Jake's death.

"Mack! What are your orders?" Mark asked, breaking McNeil from his thoughts.

He knew he could use the Peacemaker cruise missile to kill Slavik, but the blast would probably kill his own men. As much as he craved vengeance, he knew what he had to do.

"EVA, send a message to Captain Knight. Tell him it's time." McNeil said.

"Affirmative, Commander."

Mark smiled, but McNeil had already returned his attention to the Montauk.

"I'm coming for you, you bastard." McNeil said, not caring if anyone heard.

… … …

**Mediterranean ****Sea**

**Onboard the GDS **_**Freedom Maker**_

**1100**

The GDI nuclear submarine glided through the water, careful to keep silent as it moved underneath the Nod fleet. Below the sub, were the corpses of countless warships, sent to a watery grave during both Tiberium Wars. The GDI Navy had control of the Strait of Gibraltar, but Nod firmly held onto the waters that protected Italy, Eastern Europe, and Northern Africa.

But still, Captain Knight had managed to sneak his vessel through, and was now almost in position.

_Lancaster was going to owe him big for this one._

"Captain! Message from McNeil's EVA. Coordinates for Objective Mike." Knight's XO reported.

"Understood. Take us up to firing depth! Launch missiles one and four, then immediate dive back down to cruising depths! I want to make this quick and clean."

"Aye, aye, Captain! Raise to firing depth! Fire missiles one and four!" The XO repeated.

The _Freedom Maker _began to rise, making it vulnerable to Nod anti-sub weapons. But hopefully the enemy would be too surprised to react in time before they launched and dived back down.

"Missiles one and four, ready!" The weapons officer reported.

"Fire missiles!" Knight barked.

"Aye, fire missiles!" The XO repeated.

The submarine shuddered as both Peacemaker missiles launched from their tubes, knifing through the water before launching towards the distant target miles away.

"Missiles away Captain!"

"Bring us back down! Ready Harpoon torpedoes."

"Aye, aye! Bring us down to cruising depths! Ready anti-sub Harpoons."

The _Freedom Maker _began a steep dive, forcing the crew to hang on tightly. No doubt the Nod ships would react quickly, firing their own torpedoes, and deploying smaller attack subs to chase them. With a great deal of luck, the _Freedom Maker _would be long gone, and back to friendly waters.

"Should we run silent, sir?" The XO asked.

"Negative. Get us the hell out of here."

"Yes, sir!"

"EVA, send a message to Lancaster. Tell him this more than makes up for Tokyo."

"Affirmative, Captain."

The GDS _Freedom Maker _once more glided through the deep waters, racing away from the Nod fleet. Their job was finished, now it was up to McNeil to end it.

… … …

**Cairo, Egypt**

**Onboard the OCV **_**Kodiak**_

**1125**

The two cruise missiles struck their target, and destroyed the large auxiliary base in a flash of fire and death that sent tons of debris cascading through the air. There was nothing left but a large crater, and now all three ICBMs were destroyed. All that was left was to kill Kane.

But that was proving to be harder than McNeil had thought, and he already thought it was impossible. Slavik and the remnants of the 1st Army had arrived, and were already pushing his forces out, even with the Mammoth. He had no other forces to call on, no Ion Cannon or other submarines to utilize.

"Perhaps we should consider retreat? We could link up with General Harkin's forces. The immediate threat has been dealt with." Chandra whispered to McNeil.

"The immediate threat is not dealt with. So long as Kane is alive, we are all in danger." McNeil replied.

"Take a page from your own playbook. Use the EMP pulse to disable the Montauk, and all Nod forces." Mark stated.

"No, that would disable our forces as well." McNeil retorted.

"It's the only way to get into the pyramid."

"Our men would get slaughtered. It's too risky!" Chandra blurted.

McNeil waved for Chandra to stand down, but he never took his eyes off of Mark.

"I'm not going to risk my men, not like this."

"You know what needs to be done. You told me you would do anything to win. Some of our forces will die, but we can kill Kane!"

"It's too risky!"

"Damn it, McNeil! I am not going to let the bastard get away again. We kill him, here and now!"

McNeil shook his head. He didn't want to throw his men away like this. These men and women had been through Hell, and now he was expected to leave them to die? But Mark had a point: Kane was within reach, as was Slavik. He could kill both of them right now.

_Saving GDI, is more important than saving you._

Jake's words still haunted him. Telling him what needed to be done, like he had done from the start. Using the Forgotten, driving his men to the breaking point. Chasing after Vega, then Slavik. Like sacrificing his men to get to Kane now.

"Chandra…arm the EMP pulse."

"Yes, sir." Chandra said through gritted teeth.

Mark smiled and nodded his head sagely.

"Our forces will know what to do. They can fight their way to the Montauk. But we will need to lead a force to find Kane."

"You, aren't going anywhere. You are staying on this bridge." McNeil growled.

"EMP is ready, Commander." EVA reported.

"Good. Now, target the pyramid."

"No. That won't reach all of the Nod forces." Mark protested.

"I know. Fire the pulse, then bring the Kodiak down. I'll lead a team and find Kane."

"What about Slavik? If you let him escape, then this war will continue! McNeil, don't be a fool!"

"Thank you for your counsel, Mr. Lancaster, but that will be all." McNeil said dismissively.

Mark's face hardened in anger, but McNeil turned away from him. Chandra smiled and gave a silent 'thank you.' McNeil merely nodded, before commanding,

"Fire the pulse!"

The Kodiak shuddered as it fired the EMP pulse. The effect was instantaneous, as the entire pyramid lost power. Defences shut down, lights went dark, and Nod vehicles ceased to function. The radios became flooded with chatter, as the various GDI forces renewed their attack.

The Mammoth MK II began firing on the Montauk, ripping open wounds all across the massive vehicle. Nod forces fumbled as they lost connection to their command, but they still managed to hold off McNeil's troops. It would be difficult to reach Kane without their help; in fact, McNeil knew he may not even come back.

_Saving GDI, is more important than saving you._

_Thanks Jake. I finally get it now._

"Prepare to bring the Kodiak down. And get an assault team ready to-"

"Sir! The mutants are heading for the pyramid!" Brink suddenly reported.

McNeil rushed over to her station, only to see Umagon leading her forces into the pyramid, rather than the Montauk. Mutants were even actively abandoning their GDI compatriots, just to help Umagon get inside.

"Damn that woman! What the hell is she doing!?" McNeil exclaimed.

"Mack! The Montauk, its powering up!" Chandra exclaimed.

"What!?"

McNeil raced back to the table, only to see the Montauk beginning to bore back into the earth. McNeil couldn't believe that Slavik was fleeing, but this would only further throw Nod forces into disarray.

"Order our forces to keep pushing. We need to secure the pyramid's perimeter." McNeil ordered.

"You're still going down there?" Mark asked.

"Yes, I am."

"And I'm coming with you. You need someone to watch your back." Chandra said.

McNeil wanted to argue, but he knew he didn't have much time.

"Glad to have you. Brink, you have the bridge. If things get too hairy up here, order a full retreat. Don't wait for me."

"Yes, sir."

McNeil nodded to his crew, proud to have served with them. He and Chandra quickly grabbed their gear, then made for the door. But Mark called out to McNeil, and he turned to face the old Commander.

"Mack…make sure he stays dead this time."

"I will."

And with that, McNeil and Chandra left the bridge. They made their way down to one of the hangars, where they could take one of the smaller shuttles. A squad of specialist paratroopers joined them on the way, to act as McNeil's strike team. They all hastily loaded into the shuttle, and dropped away from the Kodiak, flying over the ongoing battle and heading for the darkened pyramid.

"Think Umagon can clear the way for us?" Chandra asked.

"I just hope she hasn't gotten herself killed."

The shuttle landed a few moments later, right outside the front entrance. The bodyguards hopped out, to secure the area. But it proved unnecessary, as the entrance was littered with dead Black Hand and Forgotten warriors. McNeil led the team into the pyramid, moving quickly so they could catch up with Umagon.

He had expected they would have to fight their way through Kane's most elite guard, but the Forgotten had already cleared the way for them. However, there were just as many dead Forgotten as there were Nod. Meaning Umagon was loosing men, and may not have enough to reach Kane. McNeil ordered the team to hurry even faster, as they descended even deeper into the pyramid.

They passed by more dead Nod and mutant soldiers. With each minute that passed, the more likely it was Umagon was dead and Kane would escape. In his haste, McNeil almost didn't notice the squad of cyborgs guarding a large door until they opened fire. He quickly ducked into an alcove, just as machine gun fire ripped down the hallway. The GDI troopers also got into cover, and began firing back.

"_Attention. World Altering Missile will fire in T-minus five minutes." _An AI reported over the loudspeakers.

McNeil cursed as he peered out to fire a burst. Kane still had one dirty trick up his sleeve, which meant McNeil didn't have time to get stuck in a prolonged firefight.

"Brink! Lancaster! Kane's going to fire another missile! Bombard the pyramid with everything you've got!"

"_But sir! You're still-"_

"Just do it Brink!"

"_Yes, sir."_

McNeil fired another burst, and one of the cyborgs went down from concentrated fire. But the others continued to block the way, and the pyramid began to shake violently from the GDI forces pounding away outside.

"Mack, go! We'll hold them off!" Chandra shouted.

McNeil reluctantly nodded his head. He dropped his rifle, and pulled out his sidearm. Once Chandra gave the signal, he bolted down the hall at the same moment Chandra and the paratroopers opened fire. The cyborgs were staggered by the intense barrage, and McNeil was able to run past the cyborgs. He pushed through the door, and ran down the dimly lit hallway, leaving Chandra and the others behind.

A thin green mist began to fill the hall, and his suit warned him of the small amounts of Tiberium radiation. Not enough to kill him, but enough that he didn't want to be down here for too long. He heard muffled voices from up ahead, and slowed, bringing up his pistol. He eventually came onto a large chamber that overlooked a missile silo. Kane was standing in the center, holding Umagon captive.

"Its over Kane! Let her go!" McNeil barked, weapon pointed at the maniacal Messiah.

Kane turned around, his own weapon pointed to Umagon's head, and his signature grin etched on his face. But McNeil couldn't help but reel back in shock, a motion that made Kane smile even more. For half of Kane's head was covered in an ornate mask, clearly covering severe burn marks that stretched out from under the mask.

"A little reminder from Lancaster's previous attempt to kill me." Kane explained, tentatively touching the mask. "It would not do for the faithful to see their Prophet…like this."

"Drop the gun, Kane!"

"You only delay the inevitable! I have the Tacitus, I am invincible!"

"You aren't God!"

"No, I'm not God. But I am a close second."

The ground shook as GDI forces continued to bombard the pyramid. Kane stumbled, which allowed Umagon to break free of his hold. McNeil charged at Kane, and knocked him off the platform. The two fell to the next floor, landing hard on the platform below. McNeil groaned as he got back to his feet, only to be kicked back down. Kane stood over him, his smile now replaced by a disgusted sneer. Kane began walking away, back towards the platform above.

McNeil grabbed his pistol and fired three shots, each one punching through Kane's back. But he kept walking, as if the bullets were little more than thrown pebbles.

"You can not stop me, McNeil. I shall have my Ascension!" Kane shouted.

McNeil got back to his feet. He didn't know how Kane survived being shot, but he still had to stop him. He quickly glanced around the platform, which looked as though it had served as some sort of ritual altar. Dotted all around were poles topped with Tiberium crystals. McNeil hastily grabbed one, and pulled it from its pedestal.

He raced back to the top platform, where Kane now clutched onto the Tacitus. He stood over Umagon, his arms spread wide, as he began preaching,

"The Tiberian Sun has risen! I have ushered in a new age!"

"Not on my world!"

McNeil mustered all the strength he had left, and thrust the spear through Kane's heart. The man looked at McNeil in shock, before McNeil yanked the spear out. Kane stumbled backwards, spilling blood everywhere. He continued to step backwards, before he once more fell off the platform. McNeil rushed over to the edge to see where he had fallen, but the green mist was too thick.

"McNeil!"

McNeil turned back to Umagon, who now held the Tacitus. She waved for him to hurry, and McNeil noticed the pyramid was beginning to fall apart. The two ran back down the hall, just as chunks of the ceiling and large support struts began to fall down. They made it outside the chamber, where Chandra and the paratroopers waited. Without wasting time to say anything, McNeil simply waved for them to go, and they all ran as fast as they could back to the surface.

"Brink! Cease fire! Cease fire! We're coming up!"

McNeil didn't receive any reply, but the shaking came to a stop. However, the pyramid was still falling apart, and it wasn't until McNeil and the others reached the ground floor of the pyramid did they finally escape the falling debris. They all stopped to catch their breaths from the frantic run, and it wasn't until that moment that the realization finally hit him: Kane was dead.

"We…we did it." McNeil stated breathlessly.

"Yeah…we did…not bad for a Blunt." Umagon teased.

The pyramid abruptly began to shake again, only this time far more violently. It felt as though the entire planet would split in two, and McNeil had to duck to avoid falling debris from the high vaulted ceiling. Then, everything became calm, and everyone exchanged glances.

"What the fuck was that?" Chandra asked.

"Probably the missile going off. Just be thankful it wasn't primed, or else we'd all be little more than dust." Umagon answered.

"There's no way he could have survived _that._" McNeil stated.

"That's what you Blunts said last time."

"Good point. We'll need to go back down, and search for the body. No point taking the risk."

Figures ran into the pyramid, and McNeil whirled around, expecting to have to fight off angered fanatics. But his shoulders sagged in relief, as GDI soldiers poured into the pyramid.

The battle was over, and somehow, against all odds, GDI had won.

… … …

**Epilogue**

**Cairo, Egypt**

**December 5****th****, 2030**

**1300**

The engines of the Orca transport began to whine as it powered up. Wounded soldiers marched up the ramp, eager to finally go home. John walked with his father to the base of the ramp, remaining silent as neither of them seemed to know what to say.

The battle was over, and GDI had managed to drive off the last of the Nod defenders. Though that could also have been due to the intercepted retreat order from Slavik. But all the same, the Nod capital was secured, and Kane was dead, something that would no doubt send shockwaves through out the entire Brotherhood.

"Son." Mark said suddenly, breaking through John's thoughts.

"Yes, sir?"

"You did an amazing job out there. You have proven to be a natural born leader, and…I'm proud of you, John."

John looked at his father, and saw something he hadn't seen since his mother had passed away: love. John smiled at his father, and offered out his hand. Mark shook it, before bringing him in for a hug. John was shocked for a moment, but returned the embrace. Mark broke away after a moment, and began to ascend the ramp. He stopped halfway up, and turned back to John.

"Stay safe, son. And…for what it's worth, I am sorry. For everything."

"Its okay, dad."

"And please tell your brother to call me. I would like to congratulate him.

"I'll…try."

"Thank you."

Mark Lancaster walked up into the transport. John stepped back and watched it lift into the air, and whisk his father away. Much to his surprise, John felt sad to see him go, and even had to wipe away a tear. As the transport disappeared over the horizon, he began to walk towards the GDI base, set up inside the ruins of the Nod one. His friends and squadmates were waiting for him, and fell in just beside him.

"So, Sarge. What are our orders?" Zemerik asked.

"Patrol duty, north side of the base." John answered.

"Patrol duty? Come on, that's boring!"

"We just fought in what was undoubtedly a suicide mission, and you're complaining that you want to see more combat!?" Prevost asked incredulously.

"Hell yeah! I want to kick more Nod ass!"

"Enjoy the down time, kid. I have a feeling we're going to be thrown right back into Hell."

The three men walked off, and John couldn't help but sigh. They still had a long war ahead of them.

… … …

**Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina**

**1700**

The bridge of the Montauk was silent, as Slavik sat alone on his throne. Outside, people worked away at constructing a new base of operations. Slavik had managed to gather the forces of both the 1st and 2nd Armies here, where he intended to rebuild their strength.

Kane was dead, and it was now up to him to lead the Brotherhood to victory. He had finally seen his chance to usurp Kane, and he had taken it. McNeil had done the deed for him, and no one would dare challenge his rule as heir to the Brotherhood. Now he had to repay McNeil for his service, by killing the arrogant bastard.

There was still a lot of work left to be done, as the war would need direction now that Kane was gone. And with CABAL's destruction, he was without a vital asset. But these were all things he could remedy, and soon he would have the world grasped by the throat. Slavik smiled, as visions of empire filled his mind.

The door to the bridge suddenly opened, and Slavik got up to see who would disturb him. A dark skinned man in priests robes walked over to him, and gave a shallow bow. Slavik returned it out of formality, but made no attempt to hide his scowl.

"Grand Confessor Marcion. What brings you here?"

"You made summons for all Black Hand to join you here, in Sarajevo." Marcion answered.

"Don't be coy with me. Why do you disturb me?"

"I come, so that I may understand your vision for the future of our Brotherhood. With Kane gone, we now lack direction."

"I have direction. I shall end this war by conquering the infidel's precious cities. I shall drag their blasphemous leaders through the streets, and anoint the new world with their blood." Slavik stated.

"That is all well and good…for the masses. But you have to have more, or else the Inner Circle will never follow you."

"Yes, I know. We need time to recuperate from Kane's death. Once we rebuild our forces, we shall drive GDI out of Africa and Europe. The rest of the world will follow soon after."

"Kane is not dead. And you only rule in his absence. Remember that, Slavik."

"As you say, Grand Confessor."

The two men walked over to the window in silence, watching over the Nod forces gathered before them. Marcion was right about exercising patience, but there would be nothing that would stop Slavik from obtaining what he desired.

… … …

**Cairo, Egypt**

**Onboard the Kodiak**

**2000**

"_You are one lucky son of a bitch. You should be court martialed and tried for treason. But __instead, you w__ill be returned to Reykjavik as a God damned war hero."_

McNeil stood patiently as Solomon berated him. The old General shook his head as he sighed, like a disappointed father.

"_The Directors may want to parade you around for killing Kane. But I'll be damn sure to see that you never command a single soldier ever again! Now then…General Harkin is still pushing his forces to you. Once he arrives, he will be assuming command. You will go to Reykjavik, and the 22__nd__ will be sent home to recover. Understood?"_

"Yes, sir!"

"_Good."_

Solomon ended the transmission, and McNeil ran a hand through his hair. He had expected to be chewed out by Solomon, and probably have his command stripped away. But he hadn't planned on the Board of Directors wanting to parade him around. But he guess it made sense, as a propaganda thing.

"Got a good ass kicking from Solomon, eh?"

McNeil turned to see Anvil standing nearby, with a sad smile on her face.

"Guess you got a similar one too?"

"Yeah. General Harkin wasn't too pleased I went AWOL, and took the Mammoth with me. But I think I got off easier than you. I still get to keep command, only, I'm being relegated to rear echelon duties for awhile."

"I'm just glad I didn't ruin your career."

"Don't sweat it. We did save the world, after all."

"Thanks Cassey."

Anvil smiled, before giving a quick salute. McNeil returned it, and watched as she left the bridge. However, as she was leaving, Umagon brushed past her as she walked onto the bridge.

"McNeil." Umagon greeted.

"Umagon." McNeil greeted in kind.

"I just wanted to thank you. With Kane gone, my people finally have vengeance for all the atrocities he committed. It has been an honour fighting with you."

Umagon bowed, and McNeil followed suit. They two shared a smile, and McNeil even flashed her a cocksure grin. Umagon simply laughed and shook her head, as she walked off the bridge.

"See you around, Blunt."

McNeil sighed and set about shutting down the bridge, as he planned to head down to the officers' mess. Saving the world could really cause one to build up an appetite.

… … …

Deep below the pyramid, in a hidden series of tunnels, Kane stumbled through the darkened halls. Blood continued to pour from his wounds, even after his heart had stopped beating. He grunted in excruciating pain, but in time, the wounds would heal. He kept pushing, trying to reach the underground transport up ahead. But the shadows dogged at his heels, and _he _continued to mock him.

"I have not failed yet. This…is merely…a set back." Kane hissed at the shadows.

"CABAL!"

A holographic image of CABAL appeared before him in the gloom, but it was already starting to fade.

"Primary core damaged. Re-re-rerouting to secondary core." CABAL's fractured voice reported.

"The Tacitus must be retrieved. I will not be denied again."

"Aff-ff-firmative. Up-updating primary protocols. Activating secondary nodes. The Marked shall do as you command."

"Excellent. And CABAL? I need time to rebuild."

"Understood. They shall lament to the sounds of their own extinction."

CABAL faded away, once more leaving Kane in the darkness, with only the shadows as company.

He would not he denied, not again.

Ascension awaited.

… … …

**Author's note: And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the end of Part Two. Thank you to everyone for reading! And as always, a tremendous thank you to IanOtter for editing my work. Without him, this project would not be where it is now. So please be sure to check out his amazing stories!**

**And with the completion of Part Two: Sun, we have now finished 3 out of 5 stories. Next up will be the short story Firestorm. Now this will only be 6 chapters, as it chronicles the Firestorm expansion, and leads us into Part 3.**

**I'm excited that we are nearing the end. But don't worry, there are many more ideas planned for the future.**

**Until next time.**

**Through the Technology of Peace! **


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